Misadventures of the Blazing Guns
by Teefa and Co
Summary: After a strange dream, Jessica Enduro leaves her comfortable home to seek out the brother she never knew. Along with her three new friends and crazy pet, insanity ensues.
1. The Prophetic Dream

**The Prophetic Dream**

It was always the same. Every night for the past month she had dreamed about it. Or to be more precise, she dreamed about him. She didn't even know who he was. Was he a real person? Was he a figment of her overactive imagination? With this young girl, a priestess who served at the Temple of Life in Doria, you just never could tell which it was. But something about this boy had made her feel funny.

In the dream, the young woman was walking in a black void. Suddenly, she saw a boy with silver hair and violet eyes. He was dressed in a black T-shirt and a pair of blue jeans. The youth couldn't be more than fourteen or fifteen years old. In front of him was what appeared to be a capsule of some sort. As he reached out for it, she could see him begin to writhe in pain. He fell to the floor as if he was dead.

His body dead and buried, yet his spirit rose once more in new and more powerful flesh.-

The words echoed in her mind; startling the youth despite having seen it over and over again for the last month. At that moment, the vision began to change. This time, she could see the boy was the one in the capsule. He wore nothing; bubbles hiding the indecent areas from the priestess's view. But he was still breathing strongly. Then, the capsule began to open. A shadowed figure took the boy and gave him some clothes to wear; a black T-shirt, blue jeans, some leather shoes with green belts on the top, black fingerless gloves, green wrist guards, a leather jacket and belt, and a pair of ragged scarves in both red and white. A piece of each torn scarf was tied around his left leg. Then, the shadowed figure took the boy away with him. The priestess tried to follow, but found out she could never catch up with the two.

Aging but six months in the span of a five year stasis. His memory buried by great tragedy.-

"Tell me," the girl called out, "Why have you sent me this vision, Oh Great Guardian? Who is the boy in the dream? Why is it I who was chosen? I'm not as powerful as my mother. Nor do I know about the world outside the village; only having left it once for the funeral of the Princess." But her calls went unanswered. She stood there in the blackness as it whitened. The dream was over; she was waking up.

S...S

"It's that dream again. Man, and I used to think that it was the fault of Emily. Her sushi definitely was a tad off the first day I had it. Oh well. But what could it mean? That boy…he looked like me. Or to be more precise, a male version of me. I wish that whatever Guardian is asking for my help would at least have the courtesy to be more specific. I should have never got into this line of work," she muttered.

Her name was Jessica Linnea Enduro. She had spent her entire life in the village of Doria with her mother; never knowing her father, only his last name which they shared. Doria was a village built only a generation ago; when her mom was only recently married. It was created by the survivors of the old kingdom of Adlehyde who had lived in persecution following a misunderstanding a millennia ago. They had crossed the deep crevice near Jolly Roger and created their home in the nearby forest. In fact, the late Princess Ekatrina had overseen the building herself; even creating a house that now was being cared for by a friend to give to her daughter later on. The Temple of Life of Oodoryuk was in the center of it.

Being so tied to the Guardians and really in tune with the Elements and their magic, the people of Doria enjoyed many conveniences that humans of our world today do. Only, it was magic that took care of their needs instead of technology. Medical science was highly advanced and saved many lives all the time. A couple could even freeze some sperm or an embryo for later pregnancy using the powers of the Guardians of Life and Ice.

Like her mother, also named Jessica but called Jess for short, the vibrant sixteen-year-old was a priestess who served the Guardian of Life. She knew that after all these dreams she had been chosen to do something by one of the Guardians. So Jessica figured that her mother might be able to help clarify the meaning. She began brushing her knee length silver hair and tying it in a ponytail. Then, she went behind her screen and got dressed. When she came out again, she had on a red T-shirt, leather vest with a pocket on each side, red fingerless gloves, a leather belt, black pants with a flame design from the bottom of each leg to halfway to her knees, and leather boots. Then, she grabbed her black baseball cap with the same design as her pants on the front. She blinked her violet eyes once, then went to her mom.

S...S

Jess was eating her breakfast in her chambers when her daughter came in. She was a woman with long flowing red hair and deep blue eyes. A white robe adorned her body; a deep blue cord serving as a belt. Dark blue ribbon was stitched into the end of her billowing sleeves, and she had on leather boots. Like her daughter, her height was a mere five foot two. While Jessica was born under the sign of Leo, and thus was empowered by fire, she was a woman of the winds who was born under the sign of Aquarius. They were a close, tight nit family. So she could tell that something was bothering the girl.

The fifty year old woman looked towards her child and asked, "So tell me what is the matter. I can see it in your eyes; something is troubling you. Well, if there is a problem then talk to me about it. A mother makes it her job to take care of her children no matter what the sacrifice. I'll help you figure it out."

Jessica sat down by her mother. "For the past month I've been having a strange dream. In it, I am walking in a black void. A boy with looks similar to mine is reaching out to a capsule. He begins to convulse and it appears as if he dies. Then a voice tells me that his body has croaked but his spirit has been reborn into some other one with more power. The scene changes at that time to the capsule. But this time the boy is inside of it. I see it open and a shadowy figure dress him. The same voice then tells me he's slept five years and only aged six months. The shadow takes the boy away and I can't see him."

At that moment, Jess dropped her favorite cup. It shattered into a million pieces. She appeared to be in a trance and horror had set in her eyes. This made Jessica worry; what had upset her mother?

"Mom, speak to me!" the girl called out, "Tell me what is the matter!" She began to shake her in a fit of desperation. Jess never behaved like this. It took her a few minutes to regain her composure again.

"Jessica, there is something that I have to tell you. I may know who the boy in your vision is. It would make sense that if something happened to him you or I would be contacted about it. You see, my dear daughter, you are not an only child; you have an older brother," Jess informed the young woman.

* * *

**Teefa's Last Words...**

The story came out of the fact that I've seen several authors give Jet a sister. However, she is always a supporting character. So I wrote a story where my own variation of his sister is the star. You'll see how interesting she really is soon. And Jess only looks young because of her magical power. It was inspired by this joking comment from an episode of Ruroini Kenshin where Sano believed that the Hiten Mitsurugi style school of swordsmanship must be the fountain of youth b/c Kenshin looked in his early 20's and he was 29, and I forgot how old his teacher was and he looked real young.


	2. Jess's Sad Story

**Jess's Sad Story**

"It all started before you were born," Jess began, "I was married to my childhood sweetheart; a man named Elliot Enduro. He and I were having trouble conceiving a child of our own so I made a visit to an apothecary shop in the newly built village of Doria. The woman there sold me some of her herbs that were used for fertility. However, not only did they help me to conceive, but I found that I was carrying a pair of twins; you and your brother. But one evening I received a vision that told me not to bear both of my children at once. So after thinking for a little bit, I asked to have the embryo of my little girl frozen. Although you were conceived at the same time, you were actually born nearly nine years after he was."

"But why don't I know him? If you and father were really in love, then you would have stayed together. I know that some of the people here only had children with lovers and then agreed to split up once the baby was born. So why did you leave him alone and abandon my brother?" Jessica yelled out.

Jess warned, "Do not be so quick to judge before I finish my story. It is also the explanation for why I became a priestess. I had been attacked by a group of monsters while on my way to the house of a midwife who would birth my baby. They were strong and I had to use my magic to protect myself. But this time a group of Drifters happened to be coming by. They saw my act of self defense as a test of evil magic that would bring catastrophe to the world. After finding out where I was headed, they went back to town to get supplies for the killing of a so-called witch. I saw them coming as my boy was being born."

Jessica felt a lump in her throat. Humans tended to jump to conclusions about her people. Since the Shamans weren't exactly considered "human" by the standards of other humans save the Baskar, they had stopped calling themselves human as well. Now, their race was called Dorian after the ancient language they used when communicating with the Guardians. That was why Doria Village was crated; Shamans wanted a place to practice their magic without being harmed. And the abnormally high levels of lifeforce energy in the area was perfect for a temple to the Life Guardian. Even in the current state of Filgaia they had an actual pair of lakes in the center of the city; one with salt water and the other with fresh water. Fish still swam in those lakes too. And herb women and midwives could grow their supplies.

Jess looked her daughter in the eye. "Yes, they were coming to kill me. I told the midwife to run with the boy and bring him to his father at the Leyline Observatory which wasn't too far away from her home. Well, actually it was another one of her offices since she kept the main one in Doria. She was to tell him that I had died of complications in childbirth. Meanwhile, I would fake my death and head for Doria. Once all that was settled, I headed to the temple to become a priestess. I became acquainted with a local midwife named Victoria Sylinia who was the childhood best friend of Princess Ekatrina Lilicia Roughnight. Each of them bore daughters within a month of one another as you well know; Emily being the elder and Princess Virginia being the younger. It was five months before Virginia's second birthday that I decided to finally become a mother once again. So the three month old embryo I had frozen was implanted into my womb and you were born a month after the Princess had her birthday. But I never stopped thinking about Elliot or the boy; I don't know his name since I had precious little time to send him away to the safety of his father. It was for the best, if I was thought to have survived they'd have begun to hunt me down. I would put not only your father and brother at risk, but the six co-workers of your father."

"So that is the reason," Jessica replied, "But what does my vision mean? What happened to my brother? And is Father in danger as well? The pieces of the puzzle haven't been put together to make a whole picture." She looked down at the ground and began to sigh; her life was complicated sometimes.

"It does seem strange. There is no such thing as reincarnation so he can't have died and been brought back to life as another child. But this thing about a stasis seems to give off the expression of an experiment gone awry. He might have encountered trouble helping his father at work," Jess deduced.

Jessica told her mother, "I'm going to find out the answers then. If my brother is in danger, then I will look for him. Once I get him back he can finally connect with us as a family. Especially if something has happened to Father; Guardians forbid it. He'll need us there with him. I will journey to find out the truth about my brother and then bring him back home. I'll start with what I do know. He looks like me and if my calculations serve me correctly he'll be around twenty at this time should he have lost four and a half years of aging. I know my birth father's name is Elliot Enduro and he worked at the Leyline Observatory."

Jess looked at her daughter and smiled. "There is another piece of evidence I can give you. In the months coming up to his birth, Elliot and I had a small disagreement over names. Since he had been named for his father, Elliot wanted the boy to take on his name. But the name I was going to give him was Jet; as in a stone. So either a youth named Jet or Elliot would be your brother. I doubt he would go and choose a random name but he might have given into my desires since he thought that I had died."

Jessica nodded and returned to her room. She opened her sword closet to pick out a weapon. Despite the fact that ARMs were the most advanced weapon on Filgaia, she still preferred a more archaic style. Besides a basic form of a short sword, long sword, katana, and broadsword, she also had a small collection of decorative weapons. Now she needed to find the one to use to take along with her on the quest.

"Dragonflare old buddy," she told her broadsword, "I guess you'll be the one. You are my favorite weapon for nothing." With that, she placed a leather belt around her torso in a diagonal line from her right shoulder to the bottom of her left side. On the back was a sheath to place the large weapon. Then she took out the thick double edged sword itself. You'd be surprised that a girl her size could carry it. For the blade alone went from a little above her shoulder down to her knees. The width of the blade was at least the same as both legs when they were held together; probably a little wider than that. Near the hilt there was a flame created from imbedding rubies into the blade. Another ruby was found near the top of the blade. The hilt was simple; not even wrapped in leather. But on the pommel's bottom there was a tooth of a deadly beast. Another tooth from the same creature was attached to the weapon by a small chain.

"I promise to find you Brother. No matter how long it takes or how hard I have to work I will bring you back home with me. Then you can meet Mother and things will all be ok again. Just be patient a little longer. We'll be a family," she vowed. Then, she walked out of the temple and left the village. She was in such a hurry that the girl didn't even bother to say goodbye to her friend Emily; who worried for her.

* * *

**Teefa's Last Words...**

Well, I decided to make her somewhat wild. She knew Virginia from the days when the girl would come with her mother to the village—more like a city but they call it a village anyway—to visit friends. The only reason Ginny doesn't find something strange with Jet's name is that they usually don't use their last names in Doria. Besides, they were six and eight when they last saw one another. You should hear what happens when I tell you about the funeral incident. And no she isn't disrespectful at the least; more like trying to keep the late woman's wishes. I actually thought about the incident first; but only Emily was involved since I already established they had met back then. However, then I decided on a partner-in-crime for her. Eventually, that led to the creation of Jet's sister. Isn't working backwards fun? And yes I was parodying "Finding Nemo" with the origins of Jet's name. Yes, I was bored.


	3. Party Girlz

**Party Girlz**

"Now this is the worst pickle I've ever been in," muttered Jessica, "I find myself in Jolly Roger and I forgot to bring some cash. Man, and I went through all of the trouble to get some snacks for the trip." After the girl had left home, she began to manipulate the winds to cross the gap that separated Doria from the rest of the continent. Then, she went to the closest city in order to look for information. The girl was angry with herself for not asking more questions of her mother before leaving. Where did she and Elliot grow up? If they moved away, what city did they live in after that? Where was the Leyline Observatory?

She went into the saloon to think; despite not having any cash. It wasn't that soon after that a young woman of about twenty four came over to sit by her. She had long light brown hair and dark brown eyes. A red sundress was her outfit of choice with black high heeled shoes on her feet. Black leather cuffs adorned her wrists and upper legs, as well as a similar choker. A rifle was strapped on her back. She stood at a remarkable six foot three and seemed quite muscular. Not that she wasn't still pretty.

"Hey, kid. I can tell you need some help. No cash? Well today is your lucky day. I am Laura Hammilin; a Drifter. If you need a guide out here in the Wastelands I'm your girl. So kid, what's your name and where are you headed for?" She then took a swig out of the beer bottle she took with her.

Jessica replied, "Jessica Enduro. I'm looking for my long lost father and brother. Our family was split in two following an accident. I wasn't even born when it happened so I don't know them. All I have to go on is the names Elliot and Jet, as well as a place called the Leyline Observatory; dad's workplace."

Laura sipped her beer. "Well, I have heard the name Elliot Enduro before. It was about ten and a half years ago. My father went to Humphrey's Peak to see a friend. There, he found a man by that name packing up his belongings and selling his house. Dad was looking at it out of curiosity and heard that the reason he was leaving was that his job caused him to move. His mother was the only one who really lived there at that time; he was living in a laboratory. And she was going to leave for a retirement home."

"Humphrey's Peak," muttered Jessica, "I can head there to get my first lead. Perhaps someone who knew them will be able to lead me to the retirement home where his mother was living. Then, I can find out where the new job is located. Finally, I'll head there and be reunited with my father and brother."

"Hold your horses young one. First of all, it isn't really good to go dashing out headlong into the Wastelands. You don't look to be the type who gets out much and are probably real inexperienced. I told you I'd be your guide and I will. But first, we have to make one quick stop before leaving," Laura stated.

Jessica asked, "Where's that? I do appreciate the offer, but I really need to figure this out. I said before that I never knew them. Well, I might have to gather a lot of information on their appearances as well as friends if I'm to find them when I get there. However, I'm not the type who waits around for long."

Laura finished her beer. "Patience is a virtue my child. Well, we're going to head to Baskar. I was asked to come by the High Priestess. Some monster has appeared in a cave near the village. She sent a messenger to this town looking for an able bodied Drifter and he chose me for the mission. We can get a little cash for this; that way we can have the money needed to hitch a ride to East Highlands."

"I guess I see your point," Jessica admitted, "I won't get anywhere if I don't have the money to travel. Ok then, let's get going to Baskar! That monster isn't going to last a second against Dragonflare and I." She pulled the sword from its sheath and held it out. Laura wondered why she wasn't using an ARM in combat like practically everyone else. Also, how could she hold that gigantic weapon anyway?

S...S

"Man this place smells. It's worse than the herbal remedies that my friend's mom always uses on us. She's the local physician for our village and she works in herbalistic medicine. All natural things that they work their tails off to grow in the planet's current state," Jessica informed her new friend in the cave.

Laura agreed, "You're right. It is stinky and gross. The monster must be one big son of a gun to let off this much of a stench." The two were sloshing through the shallow river that had formed in the depths of the cave. It was pretty barren in comparison to most underground water sources. Maybe because Baskar itself lay in one of the healthier areas. There was more water to go around above it.

Suddenly, they heard a low roar. A humongous shadow began approaching them. Both women readied their weapons. It would definitely be a big one. This would earn them a mint. It could probably take them to Humphrey's Peak and back at least ten times. Jessica's eyes went wide. Now she could find the information needed to locate her father and brother. She would have to ditch Laura if she found out that her father named his son for himself; being as the mention of the name Jet needed to be given since she was uncertain. Oh well, it wasn't like she had need of a mentor the whole way. Just a small start in the Wastelands was good enough for her. Her whole body began to tingle with excitement.

At that moment, a strange golden creature jumped out and pounced on Jessica. It began licking her face. When her eyes came into focus after the shock, she saw a baby tiger. But not just any tiger; a Golden Tiger. The two legendary tigers were the Gold and Silver varieties. The Silver were all known for their ferocity and violent nature. However, in contrast, the Golden ones were as tame as any housecat.

Laura's eyes began to bug out. "This was the monster! It looks more like somebody's missing pet cat. Actually, somebody's missing giant pet cat is more like it. How can we get any reward with this thing? I would feel too guilty to kill it and if we take it back alive nobody is going to believe us at all. So what now? Do you want to return to Jolly Roger to look for some other assignment? With the cash on me now, I can only take us as far as Claiborne. Then we'd either have to get a job and take the train again, or walk to Humphrey's Peak. We'd have to cross a chasm, underground canal, and lots of sand."

"We can take her back with us," Jessica informed Laura, "My mother told me about this creature once before. A Golden Tiger is a friendly beast that loves to play. The scared people probably mistook it for another monster. But the High Priestess should know of Golden Tigers; they are a legendary beast."

"Nothing to lose I guess. And everything to gain. Alright, we're headed for Baskar," said Laura. With that, the two girls and the tiger began to head out of the cave. The creature, dubbed Frisky by Jessica, was constantly at the teen's side rubbing against it. She didn't mind at all; Jessica loved animals.

* * *

**Teefa's Last Words...**

I love tigers. You may remember the Silver Tiger from (Not) Home For the Holidays. I just wanted to make a cute pet for Jessica. Just wait till they get to Baskar. We'll meet some more characters there. Oh, and like the touch with elemental manipulation? It's part of the skills learned over the centuries by the Dorian people. Just created for kicks. Besides, it's a part of the funeral incident.


	4. The Initial Impressions

**The Initial Impressions**

"Greetings to those who braved the Demon's cave," a teenage girl welcomed them, "My name is Serena Fischer. I am one of the Defenders of the Priesthood." Jessica looked at the girl. She was about a year younger than Jessica herself with long black hair and green eyes. Her dress was a simple tan one with an orange moon and son on the skirt. Along the bottom, collar, and the edges of the sleeves ran a design of triangles with white ones pointing up and red ones pointing down. A belt in the same style was around her waist, with a leather pocketbook painted in purple with an orange flap hanging from it. Finally, she wore a pair of leather boots on her feet. The girl named Serena bowed to the two and their new pet.

From what Jessica was told before about the Defenders of the Priesthood, they were chosen by fate. Every generation a pair of twin girls was born to protect the priests of that same generation. Since the color she wore was red, that meant that she would Invoke the powers of Fire, Wind, and Darkness. Her identical twin would have blue triangles and use the powers of Water, Earth, and Light. It was done that way to create balance between the sisters and the powers if they were needed to fight for Filgaia.

"We have found the monster in the cave. I trust you know what this creature is," Jessica told the girl. Frisky walked forward and began to purr. Serena reached out her hand to pet the animal before she began winding her body around the Arcana Master in her typical playful fashion. Both teenagers giggled.

Serena said, "Sorry about that. Shane was going into the cave to look for an item his brother had left there before when he heard noises. We were worried for him and hoped that getting rid of any threat would allow him to find what Gallows lost. Thank the Guardians our hired help knew about the Golden Tigers. Else we would be trying to lift the curse. For to slay a Golden Tiger condemns you to wander the world in eternal physical pain. Also, you would be invisible to all other eyes but your own and the others who suffer the same fate. If we saw a Golden Tiger pelt just floating towards us, we'd be looking for a cure as fast as possible. But you'd still have to go through the pain in the first place so you're lucky."

Laura stepped up to the front. "You mean we're lucky Jessica knew. Not that I would have shot an animal that was licking my friend's face and purring like a housecat. My name is Laura Hammilin. I came here to finish the mission with my new associate; Jessica Enduro. I must see the High Priestess."

"Very well," Serena stated, "Come with me. High Priestess Halle and her grandson, Shane, are in the shrine. They're praying for her other grandson who left on a journey about a week ago with three friends. And he was only home about a day after his last three month trip. Oh well, that's life for you."

S...S

"So, it was a Golden Tiger in the cave. Well, I'm happy you're both ok. And the little one will be going with you. You are really fortunate. Golden Tigers bring good luck. That is why it's a sin to kill one," Halle informed the two Drifters. She wasn't fazed upon hearing Jessica's name; her introduction to the future Maxwell Gang the week before had been really informal and she only knew them by first names. It made things doubly ironic; if Jessica had mentioned her quest and the names she might have had a lead.

Jessica replied, "I know. Mother always told me about them when I was growing up. I was really interested in monsters and other beasts; wanted to know all I could. And when your mother is a priestess at Oodoryuk's Temple then you will hear a lot of interesting tales of the creatures that inhabit this planet."

At that moment, another girl came running in. She looked exactly like Serena except for the blue triangles on her clothing and the fact that she had no purse on her belt. The girl was out of breath. There was a frantic look about her eyes. Jessica could tell that this one had a kind heart and there was some sort of trouble. "Lady Halle! I found a man unconscious at the gates of the village. He needs help badly!"

S...S

"Lyla," Serena inquired, "What happened to him?" They were all in the twins' home where the girl named Lyla was using her Aqua Wisp Medium to heal the man. He couldn't be any older than the age of Jessica's two friends; Virginia and Emily. His blond hair was worn short; cut just below his ears. He had on a red shirt and blue jeans. Leather gloves were on his hands with leather boots on his feet. Those, along with his leather jacket and belt, had been taken off to make him more comfortable. Jessica was looking at the pistol he had in his holster. She had seen pistols used before; Virginia had showed her.

"Well, I don't know sister. If I did know I would be able to figure out how to help him beyond just healing his wounds. When he wakes up I will be able to get all the information you need from him," Lyla quipped back. She looked at his closed eyes; they showed signs of immense pain around the creases.

Jessica whispered, "Wow, a Destroyer RE. This is one high caliber pistol he's got here. Must come from being all alone. Unless he lost his friends. Let's say that I try this puppy out. I know how to do it from watching Ginny. Besides, if I aim at the ceiling there won't be any injuries to the people here."

As Lyla bent down to cast another Heal spell on the injured boy, Jessica fired the ARM. At that moment, out of shock, the youth woke up with a jolt. Ironically, his lips managed to knock right into those of Lyla. They turned away quickly and began blushing furiously. Jessica simply put the ARM away so she wouldn't attract any more attention to herself. Not that she hadn't gotten enough of it already now.

The boy looked at Lyla once more after his blush cleared. "Thank you for your help. My name is Vincent Maxwell. I'm traveling in search of my true identity. You see, as a baby, I was abducted from my mother and raised without knowing my real family. I always was told that I was adopted. But I recently found out what my foster father really did to me. Upon learning my true last name, I took it and began to search. However, all of this has proven futile. Has any one of you ever heard the name Maxwell before?"

"Can't say that I have," Laura replied, "I'm not a names person; unless it comes from a story that I was told as a child and it stuck with me for some reason. No need to get friendly with clients when you're a Drifter. Well, unless they're willing to buy a round of drinks and have some seriously X-rated fun later."

"Thank you for that…interesting insight Laura. Well, for me I've just begun my journey. So I don't have any clue who else has your name. But perhaps you have heard the names Elliot Enduro and/or Jet Enduro. If you have then can you please tell me? They're my long lost father and brother," Jessica said.

Vincent informed her, "No, can't say that I have. But perhaps we can help one another to look."

Laura looked at them. "I'll give you a hand as well. With my Sniper ROD66, I am invincible."

"All of you seem so determined," Lyla responded, "I want to come along as well. It could be a good idea to have a Baskar in the party with you. Let's go see the High Priestess, she might help us."

* * *

**Teefa's Last Words...**

The whole chapter was used to introduce our other two Drifters. They'll begin the journey in the next chapter. And yes, this is the same Vincent from "A Mother's Legacy". Just this time he finds out the truth a little sooner. His injuries will come up again later when he talks about what happened after he found out the truth and his journey. It's vital to the story if you wait on it.


	5. The Blazing Guns Form

**The Blazing Guns Form**

"I see," Halle began, "So the young boy is looking for his birth parents, the silver haired one is looking for her birth father and older brother, and the brown haired one is accompanying them to help the two out. And you, Lyla, wish to join as well. I find no problem with that. After all, the creed of the Baskar stresses to help others with their troubles. Besides, with that idiot Gallows out of the colony there is less of a need for two to defend the priesthood. Serena can protect Shane on her own until you get back."

"Thank you, Lady Halle. I will do my best to not break the trust you have placed in me," said the girl as she bowed to the ground. Out of reverence for a more spiritual woman than she, Jessica followed suit. Both Laura and Vincent were confused to no end; but they weren't raised in priestly families either.

Halle told them, "It would be wise to not go without defense. I will prepare you each a Medium. Keep in mind that these aren't the true Mediums so you will not be able to Summon or gain new strength from them. However, if you find a Summon Stone, you can unlock those powers even though they are simply constructed for the use of man. Now then, child of the Dorian people. I understand that you serve the Guardian of Life. It is only fitting that I bequeath you with a Medium of his power." As she handed the stone tablet to Jessica, Lyla began to tell the other allies what the High Priestess had meant by Dorian.

She then turned towards Laura. "You are a powerful warrior. I take it that you have lived by the battlefield for awhile now. Well, anyway, I wish of you to carry the power of the Death Guardian; Ge Ramtos. We already have Oodoryuk of Life, so it is a fitting counter." Then she gave Laura another one of the stone tablets. The girl seemed to feel strange; usually only spiritual people could use a Medium without the power of an Ark Scepter and she was as far from spiritual as any man or woman could come.

"Lost one," Halle spoke to Vincent, "You have something special inside of you. I can't quite put my finger on it but I would say that it is the soul of a warrior. This Guardian would be perfect for you. He is the Guardian of Swords; which includes everything about chivalry inside of it. Equitess will guard you well and help you to find the things you are looking for." She finally handed the final slab to the man.

"But how can we use them? I have heard that only the Baskar can call upon the magic of the Guardians. You mentioned a Summon Stone, is that going to be able to let us cast magic?" Vincent asked of Halle. He was looking at the Medium in his hands. There was something familiar about it. But he'd never seen one before. However, he realized it had less to do with sight and more with a feeling.

Halle replied, "A full Medium is only usable by an Ark Scepter. These imitations can utilize only a person's will if it is strong enough. Besides, you have something here that will be able to aid you in using magic. The very presence of the Golden Tiger is enough to connect you to the Guardians. She can give you the strength to use magic. Once you find the Summon Stone, then you may use spells without the tiger being there; as well as call the Guardians to your aid from the nether realms that they all inhabit."

Laura looked a little miffed; she needed to get to town to pick up some more booze before she ran out. "Well, where is this Summon Stone? It would be prudent to gather enough power to face the long road ahead before we go towards our only lead. Besides, the stone might hold clues towards other things. If Jessica's missing brother holds some strange power like her dream says, then it might be able to home in on him in some way. Or, worst case scenario, we can deal with any enemy we might find."

"Rumor has it that the stone is near Claiborne," Halle informed the team, "Somewhere in a cave lays the power of the Guardians. Lyla and Jessica, as representatives of the two Guardian servant tribes, are the only ones who can sense it. Once you touch the stone, the power will enter your bodies and give a wondrous gift to you all; the blessing of the Guardians. One who has made contact with this stone can Summon Guardians and use Arcana regardless of whether or not the Medium in question is real or not."

"I feel the power flowing through me. I believe I can already use my Arcana. Not that it holds a candle to my Crest Sorcery, but it could be good in a pinch. Besides, you gave me all the healing magic. I can stick to my own skills if I have to attack with magic. Also, you can rely on my powers to manipulate the elements to float over short distances, cast a barrier to absorb an attack, open locked doors in ruins, and hide us from harm with illusions," Jessica said to her friends. She loved the lock picking the best.

Lyla added, "And I too can use the magic. After all, I am not only of the Baskar, but one of the two Defenders of the Priesthood. Using Arcana comes natural. But with these imitation Mediums, neither Jessica nor I can Summon. So it would still be best to find the stone and gain new strength. Don't worry, once we gain the power of the Guardians, then we'll be able to look for Jessica's father and brother, as well as Vincent's family." As she mentioned the young man, she took one look at him. It was true that he was quite handsome. But she shook her head before she could be caught daydreaming. Falling for a guy on looks alone was a mistake. She needed to know the type of person he was before deciding to.

Halle handed a small bag of cash to Laura. "Here is the reward money for finding out about the beast in the cave. Use it to catch a train to Westwood from Midland Station. Then, head to the town of Claiborne and ask around about the cave. Once you have found its location, head there for the stone."

"Hey guys, there's another good side to this," Laura stated, "If Jessica can use some of her fancy powers to float us over the gorge near Claiborne, we can walk in the underground canal towards the area of Little Rock. From there, we can walk around the mountains towards Humphrey's Peak. If we play our cards right, then we can get some information about both Jessica and Vincent's families. Besides, the saloon in Claiborne has some of the best drinks around; even though the mistress there is a total witch."

"I hope you don't spend the entire quest either getting drunk or laid. We need to get through this fast. Something tells me that my brother needs me soon or he might be badly hurt emotionally," Jessica mentioned. It bothered her though why she thought that. He is safe with her father, wherever they are.

* * *

**Teefa's Last Words...**

So the team is ready to go now. I figured that they should get to know one another on a short quest before Jessica has to explain the more complex aspect of her mission. Halle only gave them the low down; she was from a Guardian Worshipping tribe known for powerful visions and magic.Yes, I made up those silly powers for a reason. It has to do with when Jessica, Virginia, and Emily were kids. Since they won't be using their magic until they find the stone, preferring to stick to fighting, I'll give the low down on that power later.


	6. Last Train to Claiborne

**Last Train to Claiborne**

Once the team had finished talking to Halle, they headed towards Midland Station. As they approached the platform, Jessica suddenly stopped short. "Wait a minute! We need a name if we're to be a gang. My two friends and I used to call ourselves Doria's Pride when we were children. And that was just for wandering around town and pretending to be Drifters. Now we've all found the real deal."

"Let's examine our powers," Vincent suggested, "I have a pistol. It's the only thing that my adoptive uncle left me before he died. He had gone out to the store to buy it for me as a fifteenth birthday present. But on the way home he was shot by a drunkard coming out of the saloon. The ARM had been already wrapped so the police didn't jump to conclusions about why he was shot. What do you all have?"

"Well, my rifle is a high powered attack weapon I used for defending the family from monsters. Being a large woman I had to fight alongside my father and brother. However, I eventually got bored of waiting around for monsters to come and being treated like just another ARMs user. So I ran away from home to find my freedom. My life sure has become much better since leaving that shack," Laura stated.

Lyla said, "When not using magic I have a staff. Nothing much to it. I can cast the spells of the Water, Earth, and Light Guardians. So, Jessica, as our leader you should pick the name from our info."

Jessica blushed. "Leader, me? Well, if no one objects…" The silence of her friends told her all she needed to know. "Then I accept. My powers are of the Dorian art of Crest Sorcery, the manipulation of the elements, and the many swords in my collection. Dragonflare is the one I use the most though. As I was born under Moor Gault's banner, my powers of fire and metal manipulation are the highest. Since we are a combo of magic and weapons, I suggest the Blazing Guns. Blaze for my fire, Guns for the two fighters. Now what can I add in to fit Lyla? Since she used the opposite spectrum from the Blaze…"

"Don't worry too much about me," Lyla informed her friend, "It isn't important. Blaze can also be used to emphasize the energy and determination of our little gang. Now let's board the train before it leaves the station. I certainly would like to see the stone that Halle spoke of. It must be quite a sight."

S...S

The team was sitting in their compartment as they awaited their arrival at East Highland. Lyla was talking to Jessica about magic and the Guardians; they were trying to figure out just how similar the Baskar and Dorian cultures were in regards to their religious values. Laura had gone to find the man who sold food and drink on the train earlier, and came back with some beer. She was currently drinking it all down and timing herself to see if she could break her own record for chugging. It made the others sigh.

Vincent, however, was off to the side of the car. He had his pistol out and was practicing his stance. Something was making him jittery. All of a sudden, he fell to the floor and began to scream out in pain. Lyla was the first to notice and ran over to help him. She brought him in her arms and cradled the youth. His body was shaking and felt terribly cold. The young Baskar could tell that there was a problem.

"Get out of my head you monster! Please, don't hurt me again. Give me back my mother! I want to see my mother!" the boy was screaming. Jessica looked at him; hard lines forming around her angry brows. It appeared as if someone was attacking him through the mind. Someone who could do that must have extraordinary powers. Or else they had implanted something into him to cause such a reaction at the right time. She began sensing around for some sort of link that could connect Vincent to his attacker.

At once, her eyes fell upon a small bracelet that was wrapped around his wrist. The girl yelled, "There it is! Hold still Vincy boy, I'm cutting you loose." Jessica unsheathed Dragonflare and slashed down on the offending piece of jewelry. At once, she could see Vincent begin to overcome the feeling.

He looked up at the two girls. "Thanks Jessica; you're a real lifesaver. And thank you for trying to comfort me Lyla. But where was Laura in all of this?" He turned to find her lying on the bench of the train car; quite drunk if I might add. The entire team began to sweatdrop. "Well, now I know where Laura was. By the Guardians, she is sure flaky. However, she's still quite powerful and will help us out a lot."

"What happened?" Lyla asked him, "You were screaming about your mother. Did the man who kidnapped you do something to her as well?" She looked quite concerned. It was definitely more than a normal spell that had hurt the youth. In fact, if her sensations had been correct, it was that of a Demon.

"The bracelet is something I've had since I was a child. I was always told it was something my father brought for me after I was adopted. You see, his original reason for why he took me in was that he found me abandoned on the road. But since he was busy with some project, I lived with my uncle. Ten years ago my foster father vanished off the map entirely; never visiting us. When Uncle died three years ago, I went to find him. My skills with pistols had been honed for a long time since my uncle had learned from his best friend's older brother. Recently though I located the man I called father," Vincent said.

F...F

Vincent was walking near the village of Baskar while on his journey. His idea had been to get a priest to delve into the location of his beloved foster father. Suddenly, he heard a voice tell someone else, "You do realize that time is of the essence. I have chosen this place for our strategy meeting so we don't disturb Melody or Malik while they are working to delve into the location of the other Guardian Shrines. The only clue we have is that ruin near Little Twister. Melody has found though that it is difficult to get through. She has planted a trap for unsuspecting Drifters inside in order to kill off many who might find the needed items for our plan before us. Once someone manages to make it to the inner rooms, you will be waiting to eliminate them. Then, all who oppose us will be gone and we can complete our great plan."

"You've got a deal," another voice replied, "Don't worry, you can trust me. I'll get the job done."

Vincent looked around the corner. There, to his delight, stood his father. He looked the same as always with his long black hair and brown eyes. The only difference was that his face was a blue shade; the boy thought he could have been splashed with chemicals at work. He had on ornate robes. To the youth's surprise, the man he was speaking with was the famous and notorious Drifter, Janus Cascade.

"Father! I've finally found you," called out Vincent; blissfully unaware that this was not a good time to approach him. The deal he was making both looked and sounded really shady. But the young man didn't care. His quest was finally over. At long last, he would be reunited with the father he loved.

* * *

**Teefa's Last Words...**

Does seem half done, does it? But I thought showing you what happened at the encounter in the next chapter would give it an air of suspense. Ahhhhhhhhhhhhh…blissful naivety. If only attitudes were hereditary. Yes, I know the title of this chapter is cheesy. But I really wanted to name one "Last Train to Some Town". Parody of the song title "Last Train to Clarksville". However, they were already by Baskar and Claiborne is the only other one word town with a train station near by.


	7. A Story of Betrayl

**A Story of Betrayal**

This chapter continues the flashback. It doesn't stop until the break

* * *

"Vincent," the man replied, "How nice to see you. Janus, you go away now. We've worked out the plan and I have things I need to discuss with the boy." He shot a sharp glare towards the notorious Drifter. With a flashing smile, Janus suddenly teleported away. This act made Vincent nervous indeed. 

"I have been searching for three years now. Uncle never let me go out before to do so; I am sorry that I waited so long. But after his murder, I took the opportunity to find you. I'm all alone now. Finally, we can be a family again. So, where do you live? And why didn't you call home all these years," the boy inquired. His eyes were glowing as if they really were emeralds. It had been a hard road for the youth.

The man—who we all know is Leehalt so I'll stop beating around the bush—told his foster son, "I have been doing quite well. Along with my associates, I am going to free humanity from their chains. We will transform Filgaia into a green planet once again. That has always been our goal. However, now the methods have changed. Not only with the planet evolve and transform, but so will the human race. It is the only way to save this wretched world. The power of Demons will lead us to a glorious new future."

Vincent backed away. Ever since childhood his uncle had told himstories of the horrors of Demons. Also, something in his gut was begging him to fight back. This was not the future everyone on Filgaia wanted. Almost as if there was another person inside of him. "Demons! But we cannot trust such a vile race. I'm sure there's another way. I'm not ready to give up on my humanity. If we work together, we can find the answers to the problems." He walked forward once again and reached out his right hand.

Only to have Leehalt blast him with an Eliminate Scanner. "Foolish boy, you are turning your back on the hope of humanity. So they will be Demons in the future; at least they will be able to survive. Filgaia is dying and since the Elw have vanished and the Guardians have forsaken it, only the Demons are left to help. I have put all of my faith in my newly acquired Demonic powers; faith to save us all."

"Demons are evil," called out Vincent, "They only wanted ruin for our world in ancient times. It was they who caused the world to deteriorate, the Elw to vanish, and the Guardians to weaken. Only the power of humanity remains. You once walked the path of a scientist. You worked for the usage of our new technology to save this world. Have you forgotten everything you taught me when I was a child?"

"I have seen the light after we were nearly destroyed in the accident at the lab. Humanity is not able to handle this on their own. Demons are the only hope left. Besides, why should you be concerned over the means? I only wish to make a Filgaia that is better for all. You won't have to worry about all of the hardships that you encountered growing up. It will no longer be survival of the fittest," Leehalt stated.

Vincent informed him, "But I still have not given up hope. Drifters are always looking for the new way to rejuvenate and protect the world. One of these days we'll have our breakthrough. I lived in the worst possible conditions in Little Rock because of the failing mines. But I'll change my future and make something of myself. That way, I will never be ashamed. I must do what I believe is right and keep my pride as a human being. The dark forces will only lead to Filgaia's utter destruction if we rely on them."

Leehalt shook his head. "Sad and pathetic. I thought you were above such wild sentiment. I raised you to follow the path leading to the strongest power. Those thoughts are that of a weak willed coward. Why can't you see the light my boy? Join the great side of the Demons and protect this world."

"I am not a coward!" Vincent retorted, "You're the coward for running away from humanity. I'll admit that a human isn't as strong as a Demon. Nor are they really powerful beings. However, by hiding behind that power and ignoring the one you were born with is cowardly in itself. I know that power like that can lead to ruin. It happened in the war after all. Besides, my heart is showing me the right path."

"You speak like a fool. I would like to shoot the man who said that you learn your attitudes from the world around you. This is nothing that I or my brother would have shown you as a child. It's more like the sentimental idiodicy that your fool of a father and his best friend Elliot believed in," Leehalt muttered.

Vincent exclaimed, "My father! But you told me I was abandoned on the side of the road. That you found me and took me in. So how do you know of my birth father?" For so many years, he never had thought about where he came from. But now, with a hint thrown before him, Vincent found that he wanted to know. No matter where it led to, he needed to hear about his true origins and birth parents.

Leehalt looked at the boy; anger filling the youth's heart. "Your father has always been the one plague on my existence. He always wanted to outshine and out do me just for the sake of being on top. But his last straw was stealing away the one girl I loved; your mother. I decided to get my revenge. So when your mother gave birth I stole away to the house where she was being looked at by the doctor. In the window, I saw two women, a young baby that belonged to the doctor, and my beloved's twin children. Both you and your sister were tainted with your father's blood. I took you to cause him to suffer as I did."

"I was kidnapped!" the young man called out, "But it didn't get you anywhere. And now that I know your true game plan, I no longer trust you. I will defeat you and avenge all of the suffering that you have caused to my real family." He pulled out the pistol and fired a round at Leehalt who dodged the hit.

"Why do you think I told you all of this? Because you could never hope to defeat me. You'll die right here and now. And I did get somewhere. I had the pleasure to know that I had deprived my rival of his only son. But your mother, selfless and kind as always, hid the truth about her babies from the others in the family. I think she was trying to protect their feelings while she suffered inside. To this day, I think no one but her knows that you even exist. That's enough talk, now you die," Leehalt called to the youth.

He cast another Eliminate Scanner on the wounded lad. The blow sent Vincent back into the mountain. Then, he chuckled as he teleported away. With wounds that bad it was a miracle he was able to survive; as if some other force was protecting him. Vincent began crawling towards Baskar to get help.

F...F

He told his friends, "And that's how I met you all. I'm guessing the curse was placed on my bracelet either as we spoke or in the instant I was hit with his spell. I feel guilty though. All these years of believing I was unloved by my family. Yet my birth mother is suffering because she couldn't save me."

Lyla brought the young man into an embrace; much to her surprise. "It'll be ok. We'll find out where you come from. Then you can meet the family you lost. It will take time, but I know that you can make it. And your mother will be able to finally get this off of her chest." She patted him on the back; a single tear falling down. It would be a long hard road but they had to get there. For the sake of a family.

* * *

**Teefa's Last Words...**

Well, now we know Vincent's story of how he got there. Next we should arrive in Claiborne. I have a lot of fun planned while they search.


	8. The Summon Stone

**The Summon Stone**

After the train arrived in Westwood, the team quickly headed for the village of Claiborne. Jessica was thoroughly convinced that time was of the essence. Something inside of her was shouting warnings of some sort. But she couldn't quite understand what it was all about. The girl wanted to chalk it up to the sushi Emily had made; then she remembered that was months ago. It was most likely nothing at all.

Once there, they listened to the rumors in town. First was about a trio of Drifter teams heading for Serpent's Coils. Then the same three teams had gone to Ka Dingel. Both were ruins in the fields that were in the Claiborne area. One team, the Cascade team, was rumored to have vanished into thin air. A second team, which was relatively new and not recognized by any specific name yet, had purchased a pack of horses and headed for Little Twister. The final group, the Schroedinger team, was still in the area looking for treasure. After learning about those little mysteries, they heard about a cave west of the train tunnel. It apparently gave off a strange glow at night and was scarring the villagers. It looked promising.

"I wonder if the rumored Ka Dingel disappearance is what caused Janus to learn to teleport like that," mused Vincent, "After all, no human could possibly have done what he did. Perhaps he was given some new powers from Leehalt following whatever happened. He didn't quite feel right when I saw him."

"You have a natural ability to see what normal eyes cannot. It's almost like you were from Baskar or Doria. Well, nobody in Baskar is named Maxwell and Doria isn't big on last names. They like to stick to simple terms. However, they do address people by rank if they want to be formal," Lyla told her friend.

Jessica added, "Yes. Mom is High Priestess Jessica; she and I share the same name but she uses the name Jess in regular context. I am simply Priestess Jessica since I haven't gained rank like she has. Aunt Victoria, a respected midwife who took care of mom when I was born as well as other high ranking members of the Dorian society, is Lady Victoria. The late princess was Princess Ekatrina, and her daughter Virginia is still considered Princess Virginia. Or, when her friends joked around with her, Princess Ginny. I don't know any of their last names. But if no leads turn up I can take you to Doria."

Vincent smiled at the girls. "Thank you. You're my true friends. I know if I keep on looking I'll find a clue to my past somewhere. All I know is that I have a twin sister in addition to my parents. I wonder what she'll say when she learns that she has a brother. Probably the same thing Jessica's older brother is going to say when he learns he has a sister. Life is just full of surprises sometimes, right?"

S...S

They headed to the cave and went inside. Frisky instantly darted ahead of the rest of the team. Jessica, worried for her pet, ran after her. She could sense the strange emanations inside of this grotto. It was almost enough for her head to burst. Great power was lying deep inside and she was sure that Lyla could feel it too. The girl was relieved to hear the sound of her partners' feet running close behind.

At the end of the cave, they beheld a magnificent sight. It was a large violet colored stone. The young priestess stepped forward to touch it. Suddenly, her Medium began to glow. Then, it turned a shiny bronze color. It was the sign that the artificial Medium was powered up; just like real ones turned to gold. Seeing her success, the other three did the same thing. Five more Mediums transformed into their stronger forms. Now, not only could the non sorcerer's use Arcana, but they could Summon to help them.

"Well, well, well," a cocky female voice called from behind, "You kids think that just because you got here first that you can take this gem. But you're no longer playing Little League now. With my team here you've instantly been thrown into the Majors. So you can either give up now or be pummeled by the hands of Maya Schroedinger. I'd suggest that you leave the gem behind if you don't want to get hurt."

The four humans and one tiger turned around to see a group of people standing in the doorway. One appeared to be an orange cat with wings. The second was a man with a big black afro who looked like he was stuck in the era of disco. Third was a timid looking blond boy who had a panda backpack. And finally, the apparent leader and only girl in the group, was a woman with similar blond hair and an orange dress. She looked like she was carrying a whole lot of ammo around just to cause a little trouble.

"Never heard of ya. The name yes but the reputation no. And this isn't a gem you can sell. It is a magical artifact that is sacred to the Guardians. As a priestess, I will not allow this sacred relic to be tainted by anyone. So I'd suggest you be the ones to turn tail and run. Unless you want to end up fodder for the point of my sword," threatened Jessica. Not like it did anything; this is Maya we're talking about.

The female Drifter retorted, "You think you can defeat me. I swear that Virginia girl has more sense than you. And she's pretty darn crazy; diving for that Cascade jerk and nearly getting herself and her teammate crushed by a rock, then fighting Janus when he was going insane on top of the tower. But nobody scares me off. I will possess all of the powerful gems on Filgaia. Don't worry, I'll make it quick."

The young boy began tugging on her sleeves. "Sis, there's something about this group. I think we should just let it be. After all, the last relic we found turned out to be a soul devouring spear. Such things are best left up to temples to care for. That's what the people of Baskar do; keep holy relics from causing trouble for the rest of Filgaia. I'll bet they're here to take it back there; we should let them go."

"Are you that much of a coward Alfred!" screamed Maya, "It's a gem. This one is clearly a gem. I'd be a fool to let it go. If these four twerps won't move out of my way then I'll have to make them move. Todd! Shady! Get ready to battle. Alfred, if you want to chicken out then you can. But don't come crying to me later on. I'll show these punks what happens to those who mess with the Schroedinger Family."

"As you wish, M'lady," Todd, the afro man, replied. The cat, Shady, simply shrugged. They were both ready to fight; they just took a calmer approach than their mistress. Well, that was a good thing. I think they'd be in real trouble if everyone on the team was just like her. Jessica readied her sword to fight.

* * *

**Teefa's Last Words...**

Well, the new magic is getting a test run next chapter. I know you know the Arcana for Lyla's three Mediums, since she uses ones already in the game, but I have to tell you the skills for the others.

With Oodoryuk, Jessica can cast the healing spell Refresh, revial spell Raise, defensive spell Barrier, and magic defensive spell Wall. Her Summon heals the entire party.

With Ge Ramtos, Laura can cast the dark attack Doom Circle, the instant death spell Armageddon, the Divide Shot in spell form named Divide (yes I can be lazy if I want), and the instant death barrier Guarder. Her Summon may cause instant death for all enemies.

With Equitess, Vincent can cast the normal attack Just Sword, the elemental addition spell Imbed (it doesn't need other elements equipped like Attachment though, since he has no other elements), the critical hit spell Sword of Truth, and the countering spell Sword of Defense. His Summon attacks a single enemy for neutral damage.

This chapter makes it clearer that the story is going on during the actual game; with the mention of the Ka Dingel showdown and all. The Maxwell Gang is probably just fighting in and around Little Twister about this time. They will comein after the timeframe of WA3 just cuz I don't want to change the game's plot. I just wanted to add a twist for them to find later on.


	9. Team Effort

**Team Effort**

"Ok now," Maya began, "Now which one should I use this time?" She was digging in her bag to find some sort of weapon; or at least that's what Jessica guessed she needed. So the young Shaman girl was thoroughly surprised when the brash young Drifter pulled out a book of all things. But before any of the Blazing Guns could laugh at the thought of a book as an effective weapon, it began to glow in a soft blue light. Maya drew out the power coming from inside, and a flash of blue blinded everyone in the room.

When it cleared, Maya had changed. Now, she had long hair that flowed down to the middle of her back. She had on a blue tunic and a pair of black breaches underneath. Around her midsection was a black leather belt with a big circular clip in the middle. Her greaves and gauntlets were leather with a steel covering around the very top. Finally, she had a one edged sword as long and big as Dragonflare.

"I figured since you were a swordswoman, I'd take you on with a sword myself. Todd, get the big girl; you're the only one tall enough to go toe to toe with someone like her. Shady, I want you to handle that boy. Alfred, since the final girl seems quite timid, I think she'll be a good match for you," she ordered.

S...S

Todd charged at Laura and tried to hit her with a Psycho Crack. However Laura was so big and muscular that she somehow managed to completely block the attack without the use of PS. She cocked her rifle and aimed. Todd took a hit in the shoulder but was still able to fight back. He ran at her to try and simply hit her with his sword. This hit did some damage and Laura reeled backwards in her pain.

The woman told him, "You're pretty good for such a scrawny guy. But unfortunately, you're not my type. So I'm not gonna go easy on you. Time to end this fight." She dropped the shells out of her Rifle and took out a new packet. These shells were a dark black color; not gold like the ones she used on a daily basis. Laura invoked her Lock On technique and fired. A black mist filled the air as it hit his side.

Todd looked at the girl. "What in the name of every Guardian there is did you do to me? This was no ordinary attack. It feels as if a darkness is trying to eat me alive." The mist seemed to do some additional damage to compliment what harm the bullet itself could accomplish. He was definitely in pain.

"Darkness Shells," Laura stated, "I know how to make special gunpowder that can stimulate the magic used by the people of Baskar. I figured this one would be most appropriate considering that I have Invoked the strength of the Death Guardian. Now feel my wrath, **Doom Circle**!" With those words, the darkness began to increase around Todd. He was engulfed entirely inside of the attack. After the smoke cleared, the swordsman was on the floor; wounded from the pain that all the energy she used inflicted.

S...S

Shady was blasting Vincent with his Breath attacks. In retaliation, the young man tried to shoot some of his powerful Disabling Ammo at the cat. Vincent had attempted to paralyze Maya's companion to no avail. When that didn't work, he attempted to use Misery Ammo. But it seemed that Shady was immune to status ailments. After all, he was an enchanted creature. They all have special properties.

"You're a good fighter. But you can't attempt to dodge me forever. And your ARMs aren't that powerful. Heh, even that girl that Maya has it in for uses two pistols. One isn't as strong. You're not even as powerful as that; and she struggled to beat us when we fought her team," Shady told the boy.

Vincent retorted, "But maybe I am not showing you my full power. Accelerator!" The air around the youth distorted and he vanished. Shady looked all around but could not find him. Suddenly, he felt a shot in his back. Turning, the creature saw that his opponent had reappeared with a smirk on his face.

As Shady jumped into the air to attack from above, Vincent assumed a praying position. At the moment right before the cat's claws dug into his skin, he vanished once more as the room began to get darker. Shady fell to the ground and began to wonder what was going on. He didn't have to wait long. A tall armored figure appeared; a sword in his hands. The blade struck the cat and he fell to the ground unconscious. Afterwards, the figure faded, the room returned to normal, and Vincent reappeared as well.

S...S

"I really don't like this too much," Alfred muttered to himself as he fought, "Why does Sis have to be so confrontational? She's going to get herself killed one day. I worry about her." Lyla had backed him into a corner by casting her various Arcana. She felt sorry for him; he didn't seem to be much of a fighter.

"Forgive me for having to do this to you. It's just that we must protect the Summon Stone at all costs. I hate getting violent with anybody. It's just not in my nature to harm others. But for my friends and the Guardians I protect, I will defeat all of you," Lyla replied. With that, she began to concentrate as if to utilize a Gatling. However, without ARMs it was a very differenttype ofattack. Instead, she held her staff out as if it were a long sword. The glint of determination began to appear in the Defender's eyes.

Lyla screamed, "Beater!" With that, she ran at her opponent and hit him with the staff a total of seven times. Since the weight of a staff is relatively low compared to many ARMs, one who stimulates a Gatling attack can hit a greater number of times without having to alter their weapon at all. The downside of this tactic, however, was that each shot was weaker than an ARM but stronger than a fist. But since Lyla didn't want to hurt Alfred, only disable him; she didn't need to cause him any unnecessary wounds.

The boy fell to the ground and was out of the fight. She checked his pulse to make sure that he wasn't in need of medical attention. Good, his heart was still beating strong. Lyla wouldn't have to heal his wounds at all. But to be on the safe side she cast a Heal spell to keep him healthy when he awoke.

S...S

Maya and Jessica were fighting a close duel. Sword clashed against sword as the battle raged on between the two women. Neither wanted to give up at all. They would rather die than fall in battle to their opponent. Maya's reason was she wanted the gem badly. Jessica, on the other hand, was simply a stubborn mule. When she made up her mind to do something anyone who got in her way better beware.

The older woman smirked at her opponent. "You're good for a kid. I wonder how long you were in training to get like this. It shows in your eyes. You aren't like me; one who learns her abilities from the books she reads. You were trained to be a swordswoman for years. I admire your dedication to a goal. However, nobody dares to get in the way of Maya Schroedinger and gems unless they want to die early."

"Well, I'm not showing you my full power now," Jessica informed her, "You see, I was simply fighting you for the sport up until now. It's been awhile since I had a worthy opponent in the sword. The books you use impart great power. But I will be the victor here; my true power is unleashed. Slash Party!"

Her sword glowed. Quickly she pulled it back and utilized a Gatling speed skill. Four times the youth slashed down at her opponent. But the damage she could inflict was stronger than any ARM. As the glow died down and the sword made its last slash, Maya fell to the floor in a faint; out of the fight.

* * *

**Teefa's Last Words...**

Hooray! I've written a battle scene that's actually a good one. I can just see Todd and Shady fighting, Alfred a little bit uneasy about it, and Maya locked in a heated duel just to prove how powerful she is. Well, next time we get ourselves ready to head to Humprey's Peak and Jessica's next clue.


	10. Another Clue

**Another Clue**

After Maya and the others left, the girl vowing to get revenge someday in the near future, the team returned to Westwood Station. With the added Gella from their foray into the cave and the fight with the Schroedingers, they could afford to hop a train to East Highlands. While onboard, Jessica spent the entire trip looking out the window. 'Can I really do it? Will I find the answers I am looking for in this area? Father, Brother, wait for me. Wherever you are in this world, I will find you and bring you back home.'

S...S

"Enduro eh?" old Datson inquired when they asked, "I recall a couple that moved in here 'bout thirty years ago. Man was a scientist at a nearby facility. His wife worked as a doctor. She even trained a local teenager named Cheville in the art of medicine. But it was a sad story; the woman died giving birth to her son about five years later. That was shortly before the man's father died and he brought his mother out here to live in their house; it brought back too many painful memories of the loss of his love. But she sold it ten years ago to live in a Home when he was transferred to some other facility. It was purchased by a Mr. Clive Winslett. If you want to ask about anything, his wife can tell you. Clive left here on a mission; something about guarding an artifact on a train." With that, he pointed to the one with the blue roof. Jessica gave a nod of thanks. With any luck, she could find the whereabouts of her father.

When the girl knocked on the door, it opened to reveal a small child. She was blond with amber brown eyes. A glint of innocence could be seen behind those eyes. "Excuse me my dear. I would like to know if your mother can answer some things for me. You see, I have someone I need to find; the person who lived in this house before your Mommy and Daddy. So can I speak to her?" Jessica asked the girl.

She ran inside calling for her mother. Soon, a woman with light brown hair and the same amber eyes came to the door. She told the four, "Well, if you need to ask me about anything, don't be a stranger. Come right inside and make yourselves at home. From the looks in your eyes I'd say it's very important."

They all came inside the living room. Lyla and Vincent took the couch, Jessica had the chair, and Laura stood; she didn't want to crush anyone else since she was so big. Jessica looked up at her host. "My name is Jessica Enduro. These are my three companions, Vincent Maxwell, Lyla Fischer, and Laura Hammilin. Our cute little pet over here is Frisky. She's a Gold Tiger; a tame monster of myth and legend. We're all Drifters, on a journey of self discovery. The old man told us to ask you 'bout our problem."

"Well, I'm Catherine Winslett," she replied, "My daughter over there is Kaitlyn. If Datson told you to come talk to me about your problem then I trust you. Humprhey's Peak is like a family community. We all trust one another. The time my husband came back injured after my father died on a journey, they all helped me to take care of him. My husband works trying to find the source of Filgaia's decay and a way to reverse it. I know other scientists have done it in the past. But one day, someone will find the answer."

"It's about my father. He used to live in this house before my mother was thought to have died in an accident. Then, he let his mother stay and moved into a laboratory that he worked at. But she sold it and went into a retirement home when he got a transfer. I'm trying to track them down since I don't really know my father. We were separated from him before I was even born so he doesn't even know he has a daughter. But I've decided to track down the other half of my family so we can be together," Jessica said.

Catherine told her, "The only thing I know is that the woman Clive brought the house from went to a small senior's community a little ways east of here; close to the railroad station. Labs aren't my area of expertise. My husband and father went to old laboratories in their quest, but they weren't occupied. But Clive keeps some books on labs and scientific discoveries. If you read through them, you might get a clue as to where to go next. If that doesn't work, you can look around the area for his original workplace since there might be someone there who knows what happened to the team your father belonged to."

S...S

Jessica spent the whole night up reading the books. There was no mention of her father's name, but she did find out a clue. Her mother had mentioned that he had six co-workers. One book mentioned a Council of Seven. They did work from some place called Yggdrasil. She'd never heard of it, but her mom had been away from him for twenty five years now. The transfer happened ten years ago. It was quite possible that new developments occurred to send him to that facility; the Council's supposed origin.

Laura took a sip of her drink. "Well, we don't know where this Yggdrasil is. I'd say we ask around at the retirement home and then try to find the Leyline Observatory. Those places might lead to some answers to where Yggdrasil really is. Worst off, we'll be bad and try to break into the Ark of Destiny's big library. They have books on science there; or so I've heard. It might lead us to more breakthroughs. But we're still not entirely sure if the Council was connected to your father or if it's just a real big coincidence."

"You're right Laura," Lyla added, "But it does seem awfully suspicious. Whatever the case, we have a new lead. If nothing does come to us, then we can head for Yggdrasil. There, we'll find out if Jessica's dad was involved or not. Because it does seem like a reliable lead; especially when ours went dry. If all else fails, we can go through the records of research facilities at the Ark when we go there."

"But we should be careful. I think I heard the name Yggdrasil long ago; but I could be wrong. It might have to do with the accident Leehalt spoke of. If that's the case, we don't know if your father is one of the associates he spoke of. However, I think the name he mentioned along with my dad back when he attacked me was Elliot. What if he and my father teamed up to stop Leehalt's plans?" Vincent asked.

Jessica stated, "If so then we'll meet our fathers together. Let's get going to find the Observatory and then the nursing home. We'll have some new clues that will point the way towards our goal. It looks like everything is falling into place for us. Aren't we a group of really lucky kids? So, now we'll get going."

They left the house with a polite "thank you" to Catherine. Ironically, the next day, her husband and his friends arrived at the house. Upon meeting Jet and Virginia, and hearing their last names, she began to wonder if they were related to the other group in any way. But Jet said he didn't have a family and Virginia mentioned that she was an only child. Catherine didn't push the issue any further at that.

* * *

**Teefa's Last Words...**

I just love irony. They keep missing each other when they go places. The two teams won't meet until I find it to be advantageous to the plotline. Which means, after the events shown in the game are finished.


	11. The Observatory

**The Observatory**

Right over the bridge between the Humprhey's Peak and Little Rock areas, the team found an old beat up building that was labeled "Leyline Observatory. Private Property, Must Show ID Before Entering. All Trespassers Will Be Escorted Off The Premises Immediately." It was clear that whoever had written the sign, which looked to be thirty to forty years old, had decided all capitalized words would make a much bolder impression on whoever might come by. However, Jessica wasn't going to let a clue to her father's whereabouts slip by. So she and the others went inside the old building to find it abandoned.

"I thought it was just a trick," Jessica said, "One to keep us out by making it look ruined from the outer walls. But it looks like the scientists abandoned this facility long ago. I guess when my father and his team left for their other place of work, this one wasn't given to any other scientists to watch over."

"Well, perhaps they didn't need this one anymore for their research. What if the other had more advanced machinery? Why should anyone keep the older generation laboratory online if they have one that is more reliable? Besides, they say that old labs are common ruins found by Drifters," Vincent told his friends. He shot at a Cursed Corps and then a duo of Comic Books. "Yup, defiantly long abandoned."

S...S

For some strange reason, the machinery was all working. Judging from the opened treasure boxes, someone had come in before them and looted the place. The records in the machinery were all destroyed long ago. Most likely the culprits had been monsters who had begun to chew on the wires. But they could see that they all had to do with the lifeforce of the planet and a way to stimulate its revival.

Finally, they came to a room with still readable data. But it was still a mystery. Most of it had to do with someone/something named "Adam Kadmon". However, not much explanation as to who or what the terminals were talking about was given. With their luck it would have been explained on the one screen that had been destroyed. However, as they pondered it, a pair of Cursed Corpses attacked them.

Laura yelled, "And just when we were about to get some more info out of this. I swear to all of the Guardians in existence, our luck is terrible. We really need to work on the timing of our monster fights."

Lyla looked at her; a little miffed. "I think you should address your complaints to Chappapanga. He's in control of luck in the world. But let's get to it. These beastie boys are going down right now."

The team prepared their weapons. Vincent and Laura each shot one of them. Lyla began to concentrate and cast the spell Spectre on the same one as Vincent; killing it. At the same time, Jessica used the Crest Sorcery alternative, Saint, and killed the second one. She then gave a sigh and looked back at the terminals. However, no matter how hard she looked, she wouldn't find what wasn't there.

"Well, we know this much," Jessica informed the others, "The scientists were working on some big project they called Adam Kadmon. In the Elw language, it means Origin of Supreme Power. If I was a betting girl, I'd say some sort of weapon. I wonder if the project ever came to completion after they jumped ship and headed for the other lab. But we'll only know for sure if we make it to their new one."

"First let's go and find the nursing home to talk to your grandmother. Perhaps she'll know the answer. If not, I can get you guys to the Ark of Destiny. I have a little secret hidden away near Little Rock. After all, I did grow up in the area. You know, we should have gone to the home first since it was closer to Humprhey's Peak. Oh well. You live and then you learn, right?" Vincent inquired of his allies.

S...S

When they got there, Jessica asked the receptionist for a Mrs. Enduro. She told the girl, "I came on behalf of the family. They wanted to come themselves, but were all tied up. Mr. Enduro had to work late and his son was supposed to watch over their house while he was away. But I'm a neighbor so I came with their blessings for her." In her hands, the young teenager held a bouquet of red silk roses.

The girl at the desk, who was doing her nails, looked confused. "I'm sorry, we don't have any patients here by that name. You must be mistaken. But I'll get my supervisor down here to try and clear up any misunderstandings there might be." Miffed that she had to take a walk, she went to look for him.

S...S

About a half hour later, a man came back with some files. He had dark hair and green eyes. This man couldn't be more than thirty years old; quite young to achieve such a position in the business. But then again, Jessica's father had become a member of his team when he was only twenty years of age; if her calculations based on the story she had been told was correct. Youth is not always a problem when deciding an important position. You want to find the most able bodied person for the job. It just so happens that sometimes he or she is a little green in the job field. But if their skills are up to par, then the applicant will go farther, faster. And that's just what appeared to have happened with the man they saw.

"Well hello there Miss," he addressed Jessica, "As well as your companions. I looked for the file concerning a Mrs. Enduro. I'm sorry that I couldn't help you more. But you won't find her here. She died about eight years ago. Apparently, her son and grandson used to visit every weekend; but then one day they lost contact with her. That was not too long after she moved into the home. It was strange. The workers all knew he was busy with his work, but when he was unable to visit he had written her a letter."

"I can't believe this. Darn it, and we came all this way. Well, I'm sorry to bother you sir. I guess I'll just have to tell Elliot that his ma is gone. Sad, really, he wished so much to see her one last time. And that boy of his; he will be upset too. I remember he got mad when he found out they wouldn't be able to go see her once again. Thank you for your time anyway," Jessica replied; eager to leave there.

The manager called, "Wait, can you tell me what happened to her family? It's so strange to find that such a loyal son and grandson were unable to come visit her. If something has been going on it might be best for them to get help; whether or not they really want it. Support can be a saving grace in a troubled time. I should know. When my kid brother died of a virus ten years ago, I had to rely on my friends to get back on my feet. So I think that you should support and help your friends in these times."

Jessica sighed and turned to him. "I'm not really a neighbor. I'm actually his long lost daughter. I just want to find my father. Whether you believe me or not, I'm just following my mother's advice. I heard that my grandmother was here, and thought she might tell me something. But since she, like the rest of the family, doesn't know I exist, I didn't think that anyone would believe me. Now, I don't know anymore. But I won't give up; I'll find my family. I again thank you for your time." With that, Jessica and the others of the Blazing Guns left the nursing home; leaving the confused manager standing with the file in the hall.

* * *

**Teefa's Last Words...**

Well, next we go and find Vincent's surprise. Then they can go to the Ark to look for more clues on how to track down Jessica's father. Oi, irony of the century and a little fun to be found when we do arrive there.


	12. The Council of Seven

**The Council of Seven**

"It's here," Vincent informed his friends, "I hid it here after Uncle died. It belonged to him; I was afraid that it would get stolen. Besides, I can't manipulate it by myself. It takes four. So I had to use the train for three years. But now that the Blazing Guns are a team, I will share the Sandcraft with you all."

He hit a button on the side of the cliff. Suddenly, it opened to reveal a hidden staircase. When the entire team was inside, he hit another to close it behind them. After all, nothing good would come of letting monsters or thieves wander inside. It would lead to some unnecessary battles for the four Drifters.

At the bottom, they discovered a majestic Sandcraft waiting for them. It was near the entrance to a small cave; covered just like the entrance to the top of the passage was. Everyone was amazed that Vincent had thought of everything by himself. But he only shrugged and said that he copied an idea he'd read in one of Leehalt's old journals. Then, the team went inside the craft to prepare to launch and leave.

"Ok, we should pick roles for this journey. Jessica, you should be the gunner; I think you'd like to play with ammo for once. Lyla, you're going to stick with the deckhand; I know you're not real violent and would like to avoid forcing you to do anything of the sort if you don't want to. Laura, I think you'd make an excellent helmswoman. And since it's my Sandcraft, I want to be the harpooner," Vincent told the others.

Jessica stated, "It doesn't bother me what type of job I have. I just want to get this puppy off the road and onto the Ark of Destiny. I'm sure they'll have information about scientists and their projects. We can find out what my father was doing and where he is now. I think our luck is going to turn around here."

So they got into their positions, and Vincent hit a button on his remote control. Suddenly, the hidden door that was protecting the Sandcraft's hanger began to open. Laura drove the vehicle and left trough the cave. Then, Vincent closed it once more. Now, they had a place to store it in case they were back in Little Rock for whatever reason. Or if they found an easier way to travel; like an airship or Dragon.

S...S

They arrived at the Ark of Destiny by nightfall. Since it was closed for the evening, the door was locked. Jessica looked at the lock. "Nothing I can't handle. And it will even lock back into place when I'm done. It's one of my coolest powers. I manipulate metal in any way. But the best part is that I can unlock and re-lock doors and other types of locks. I had a lot of fun with it when I was a little girl living in Doria."

A red aura began to form around Jessica. She put her hand on the lock, and it suddenly clicked. At that instant, the door opened. Winking at the others, she led them inside. Since all of the Arkists went to sleep right after locking the door, she knew that they wouldn't find out that they were sneaking inside.

They went into the library. Inside, they found shelves and shelves filled with books. The team mutually decided to split up and search through all of the books until they were able to find something of use. Once that happened, the four would regroup and do the necessary research in order to find out about Jessica's father. Vincent and Lyla climbed up to the top group, while the others took the bottom.

After about ten minutes, Jessica picked up a book. It was about the Council of Seven. But as she began to read the list of members of the final Council listed, she gave a small yelp. The others all raced over to her to see what was wrong. If she wasn't careful, the Arkists would find them hiding there.

"Jessica, what's wrong?" Vincent inquired, "It's only a book of…oh by the Guardians! The names written in this book. Werner Maxwell, Leehalt Alceste, Melody Vilente, Pete Inkapilia, Elliot Enduro, Malik Bendict, and Duran Bryant. My foster father and a name that could very well belong to my birth father are both in here. Not only that, but Jessica's dad. Are we both connected in some way we cannot fathom?"

"Hey! Werner Maxwell lives or lived in Boot Hill. I have a friend living there. Well, like most of us from Doria, we don't know each other's last names, but she could very well know him. With the death of her parents, she lives with her aunt and uncle. Perhaps if we talk to her, then she can give us a lead to your parents. It's too much of a coincidence that both the man who abducted you and a man who shares your last name are both on the same team in the Council of Seven," Jessica called out; loudly I might add.

Suddenly, they heard a voice yell, "Whose there!" It was that of one of the Ark's guards. All four of them froze. Jessica concentrated and created an illusion around them with Water energy. It wasn't as good as her friend Virginia, but it would do. When Albert walked in with a few of the Arkists searching for the intruders, they saw nothing. Confused, the group ran off to see if it was another area of their temple.

After the girl removed the illusion spell, Lyla sighed. "We're lucky we had Jessica with us. Dorian magic is much more versatile than Baskar Arcana. As you've seen it is more powerful than any of the spells we can muster with Mediums; even when it's Jessica herself casting it. That's why she heals us with her own Crest Sorcery unless Summoning Oodoryuk to give the group a greater boost in energy."

They left the Ark and locked the door behind them. Laura thought that Albert would be really confused when he woke up and found that the door was secure. He might have seen it slightly ajar in the night. If so, he would be confused as to how the intruders could unlock the door, hide from them so they could miss them while checking around, and then re-lock the door behind them as they left the Ark.

"Well, we should hightail it to Boot Hill," Vincent told them, "It is our only lead. Even if…this man turns out to not be my father, he will know Jessica's dad and where he is now. But I know deep in my heart that he's the one. I'll be reunited with my family real soon. After all these years, I'll know where I come from. Maybe I can get to know my parents and sister." He stared off at the sky as Laura left port.

They drove towards the land and camped in the Sandcraft on the beach. It wouldn't be good to go inside town after midnight and then try to find someone. He'd probably have some issues with a group of strangers coming into his house for a Q & A session on whether or not he had a son and where one of his co-workers was living now. Best to wait until the morning and then talk about their quests right then.

* * *

**Teefa's Last Words...**

I know I'm crazy. I plan to talk about Boot Hill next chapter. Maybe in two chapters if I get long enough. We have to interview the Maxwells, and also go to the graveyard. Expect some drama and a little mushy fluff.

My updating policy says I'll post new chapters on Monday, Wendsday, and Friday, but only if I get a review in between those times; I like to know my readers are keeping up with the story. Also, I can only post a total of 4 Documents a week, which is the same amount that I can write a week, so I might post less due to a large prescence in shorts, anthologies, and if another fic gets a lot of reviews as well (I post two fics at the same time). The queue of fics is there just in case I can't write for several weeks due to excessive schoolwork or family committments.


	13. Little White Lies

**Little White Lies**

The next day, the team headed for Boot Hill. Jessica was trying to think of a plan to get inside the house to see her friend. She well remembered that Virginia's aunt and uncle didn't like her and the others who visited from Doria too much. It was an argument over tradition; both sides having different traditions on how to observe a funeral. In the end, thanks to the fact that the Guardian of Death was on the side of the people of Doria and had witched the coffin to move at the right time, the Shamanic traditions won out.

So when she knocked on the door of the largest house in Boot Hill, her plan would be all ready. If Virginia came to the door, she was in the clear and could simply get inside with the others. However, if either Tesla or Shalte answered it, she would put into motion an excuse for talking with Virginia in private.

"Ok now," Jessica muttered, "Time to find out the information for Vincent and I." She knocked on the door. It wasn't long before Ginny's Aunt Shalte answered. She looked like she had just finished her cleaning for the day, or she was in the middle of it. For her clothes were covered in dust and her hair was a mess. "Hello there, I am here to conduct a survey of young adults ages 18 to 30. I believe there is a girl named Virginia living in this house. May I be permitted to ask her some questions?" inquired Jessica.

Shalte replied, "She's not home. She left here to become a Drifter. I'm sorry that she can't be of any more help to you. But if it is something that I can answer for her, I will be glad to oblige you instead." She motioned for them to come in and sit down at the table. There, laid out before them, was a feast of cookies and candies. The four sat around the table and waited to be told that they could taste some.

After receiving an encouraging nod from Shalte, they each took some cookies and ate them. So what if it wasn't even lunch. Any Drifter who turns down free food is bound to be called insane. But it wasn't long before Jessica turned to their host. "Well, first of all, we need to know the full name of the person who we are surveying. It's a bit of a population thing. We are trying to find out about the size of families of these young adults. But we can't write a thorough study without discovering the full name."

"Well, as you have guessed, her first name is Virginia," Shalte informed them, "Her middle name is Cecilia; her parents agreed that her first name would be the one her father liked and her middle name the one her mother liked so they wouldn't fight over it. Finally, her last name is Maxwell. She's eighteen years of age. Her height is five foot four inches and I'm not telling her weight out of common decency. She has brown hair and blue eyes. Is there anything else you would like to know about my young niece?"

"Just her relatives. Who are her parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, brothers, sisters, cousins, nieces, nephews, and any other close relatives she might have," a startled Jessica responded. If this was the Maxwell residence and her friend Virginia was the same age as Vincent, she might be his twin sister.

Shalte told her, "Her father, Werner, vanished ten years ago. We don't know if he ran out or he was killed at work. He was a scientist. But he would always write if he had to stay longer than necessary. One day, he went there with the intention of staying for a week. However, he never came home again. But science is a dangerous field so the adults always feared the worst. Her mother, Ekatrina, died a few months later. It was such a tragedy. She came down with pneumonia and just faded away. Those who knew her well all believe she felt that her life ended when her husband vanished. Sadly, she died right before Virginia turned eight years old. That's one of the reasons Ginny left to become a Drifter. She discovered half of an old photograph of Werner and his colleagues. It might hold a clue for her to find out what happened to him. Well, back on topic, my husband, Tesla, is Werner's brother. His parents aren't alive anymore; they died when he was younger. But she does have a grandfather on her mother's side of the family. We haven't seen him since Ekatrina's funeral; there were some disagreements between us. So we don't even know if he's still alive. His name is Edwin. And she has no siblings or cousins either."

Jessica got up and bowed to them in a show of Dorian politeness. "Thank you for your time. Do you happen to know the Enduro family? They have a son in the same age group so we would like to interview him. But our darn office is being very picky about what information they give us to use."

"The only Enduro we know is Elliot," Shalte said, "He was a friend of Werner's. We only met him a few times when Tesla and I went to some party at Werner's job or when he came over for tea. But he and his son were with Werner at the lab when he disappeared. So we can't give you anything on them."

"No wonder the office wasn't giving us anything. They have all the names on record but they didn't bother to change the addresses. I'll have to give my supervisor a complaint about this when we finish the survey. Thank you again Mrs. Maxwell. I hope your niece can get back from her journey safely. And I hope she finds out what happened to her father. Whether or not he is alive, knowing the truth can bring some closure to a person who has experienced tragedy. My mother lost my father in an accident before I was born and she still suffers because she has no knowledge of what happened," she stated.

With that, the four relieved Drifters left the house. Everyone had Jessica do all the talking since she was good at these little white lies. Lyla couldn't lie if she tried; she was too innocent. Laura's lies were so easy to see through. And Vincent would let his emotions take over when he heard where he was and that the man he believed to be his birth father was missing while his supposed birth mother was dead. But Jessica had this skilled knowledge on how to manipulate the situation to throw it in her favor. Like Virginia, she was skilled at debating. In addition, she kept a face up that a lie appeared to be the truth.

Vincent whispered, "My mother…dead. Ironic, isn't it? She thought I was dead all these years and I was alive yet unable to come back to her. I finally get the knowledge and the means to come back home only to find my parents dead. This has to be where I originate; what other Maxwell would have the connection and proximity to anger Leehalt in such a way?" He wiped a tear from his eyes and walked off in the direction of Boot Hill's graveyard. The boy couldn't find peace until he saw where she was buried.

Lyla looked at him with sorrow. "Vincent, you shouldn't let yourself be caught in the pain. Free your soul. I'll come with you." With that, she followed him in order to give him some moral support.

* * *

**Teefa's Last Words...**

Well, the next chapter will be shown in the graveyard. Then Jessica will tell Vincent the funeral story. Again, it was more of two groups butting heads over tradition and the will being ignored. Also, the final childhood exploits of Virginia, Emily, and Jessica.


	14. Little White Flower

**Little White Flower**

Lyla found Vincent in front of Ekatrina's grave. He held a Tiny Flower in his hands. "I wonder who left this here. These are very rare. Even Boot Hill and Baskar don't have many flowers, and they have the best environments left. So where would my uncle and aunt get this flower to place on mom's grave?" Then he put it down. The boy read his mother's name and the dates of her life. She was only thirty three when she died; that was awfully young. A single tear fell from his eyes and hit the stone.

"Don't worry Vincent," Lyla told him, "We'll look for what happened to your father and the others in the Council. After all, Jessica would tear up heaven and earth if only to find out what happened to her lost father and brother. Since both of your fathers worked together, finding one will help us find out what happened to the other. We're a team, and by working together we can achieve anything we want to."

"I know. It just hurts to think that I am unable to tell my mother in person. She's my family. But Leehalt took it away from me in order to get his sick and twisted revenge on my father. How can one man hate so much that he is willing to steal away another man's son?" the youth asked to no one in particular.

Lyla put her hand on his shoulder and smiled. Then she told him, "You shouldn't worry about him. He might have ruined your past but you can still find your future. Let's go back and see the others. Then we can get this show on the road and find your answers. I know that one day you can come back to this town and tell your mother that you know what happened to her husband. Then she will be released from her eternal sorrow. Some people are restless if they die in such a way and don't make it to the Land of the Dead. However, if you find out what happened to your father and tell her about you and him, she can rest in peace and continue her journey towards the Land of the Dead where she will be happy forever."

At that moment, Jessica came up and tapped Lyla on the shoulder. "Excuse me for interrupting this little conversation, but we of Doria did everything to make sure that Princess Ekatrina could rest in peace. We had the body left out in the coffin for seven days, applied spices to preserve and honor her every morning at five thirty AM, prayed fervently, left incense offerings, and then buried her with every single honor that benefited her rank. I might add we fought the idiots inside the house to make sure her Will was followed to the letter. They were planning on using their own tradition and bury her right away."

"Wait a minute!" exclaimed Vincent, "The woman we believe to be my mother is of royalty? So why in the world would anyone want to go against the wishes of a princess? Not only that, but why did she live in a little town like this and not an extravagant palace? Is there something wrong with Doria?"

"Well, that dates back a millennia. We of Doria are strong mages and fought the Demon that attacked Filgaia with all the fervor in our souls. However, we were stronger than the average human being. Thus, they believed us to be Demons too. They were scared of death like all people so they thought to attack and kill us off before we could attack them. The queen and many soldiers stayed in Adlehyde to allow the citizens who made it to the palace escape. Sadly, many innocent men, women, and children were slaughtered before they made it to safety. Ironically, it was a Demon that saved the lives of the Demon Slayers. He was reformed two hundred years prior to this incident," Jessica stated.

Laura, who was just arriving with a drink, asked her, "So then, what happened at this funeral? It seems quite interesting. And what was your role in all of this? I didn't think kids went to funerals. My mom always made us stay home if they had to go for a relative or neighbor who had passed away. They said we were too young. But if it was ten years ago, you would only have been six when it happened."

Jessica sighed. She thought the story was funny but not many shared her sentiment. After all, she and Emily had made some trouble for Tesla and Shalte. "Well, they looked at her Will and said that seven days was too long to leave a body out; something about spreading a disease. Also they didn't have any of the spices needed for the ceremonies. Thus, they were planning to bury her after the first night despite Virginia's protests. But the Guardian of Death saw that she was likely to become a wandering spirit if not buried right; as Lyla said she died with a heavy heart. So he himself froze her coffin. They didn't find out until the next day."

"Well, that does seem unlike the typical funeral," Vincent added, "I never knew the Dorian way of handling things. But it is a part of me like my own blood. However, where do you and the people of Doria come in? You act like you had some fun and made a lot of mischief in order to help her rest properly."

"You'd bet your pistol on that. We came just in time for the first early morning vigil. Of course, if you come downstairs and see a group of people holding a strange ceremony, you'd think it was some sort of witchcraft too. But they were even more surprised to see Virginia there as well. The only reasons that my friend Emily and I came was to keep her company. So after locking her in the room to keep her from the influence of a 'wicked cult', Tesla got into a shouting match with my mother; as High Priestess she was presiding over the ceremonies. Then they found out the coffin wouldn't move," Jessica continued.

Lyla looked down and whispered, "I hope their actions didn't cause the Dorian Soul Calming Methods to become null and void. Then again, if it is their fault that her soul cannot rest, I hope she haunts them to the ends of the earth. I usually don't wish bad on people, but if this hurt Vincent's mom in any way they would deserve the wrath of the Guardians. And the Dorian people are not a crazy cult."

Jessica waved her hand to calm Lyla. "We don't even wish bad on them so don't you start. I know that doesn't help one little bit. Well, we of Doria understood their feelings and didn't act in ways to hurt them. But we could use trickery to keep the ceremony going in the right way and help Virginia to honor her mother. Emily would manipulate the winds to get us up to her balcony and I'd then pick the lock with my magic. She'd come out, I'd put the lock back in place, Emily would manipulate the winds to get us down, and Virginia would use an illusion so we wouldn't get caught sneaking away. That was for ceremonies outside of the house. The adults would manipulate the locks and get in for the early morning prayers over the coffin. But in the end, it caused one big problem. Seeing the arguments mounting, Ekatrina's father, King Edwin, decided he should take custody of his granddaughter. The Will only said she would be raised by her father if Ekatrina died but he wasn't there. That's why he doesn't speak with Tesla and Shalte; they had a bitter argument that only ended because Virginia wanted to stay close to her mom's grave and her grandfather understood her feelings had nothing to do with who she liked better."

Vincent let out a sigh. There was bitterness in his family. But no one knew he existed. The only way to handle this was to find his father and convince him somehow. If he heard that Leehalt had took the boy, and the reason he wasn't told was that Ekatrina didn't want to upset him, he might think about it and believe him. After all, Werner of all people would know that Leehalt hated his guts with a passion.

* * *

**Teefa's Last Words...**

Well, we had the crazy story and a little support. I thought it was interesting to see how two opposite traditions would butt heads over how to handle it. Doria is different from the rest of Filgaia; just like the people of Baskar. So the team is now going to look for answers to Yggdrasil's whereabouts. They need to discover some other important clue. And if you were wondering where Frisky was, and why nobody was shocked to see her, they left her in the Sandcraft. People in towns give them odd stares so she stays there if they are heading for town. Besides, I tend to forget about the animal characters if they can't speak or only say weird words. Thus, they don't tend to get mentioned; they stay silent in the back unless they come up in the story dynamics. Or unless I have a scene where a character is agitated and the pet wants to play; that would be Hound Buster in "Three Princesses" a La Pucelle fic I wrote and have yet to post cuz I need to post the earlier fics in the series first.


	15. Nidhogg's Invitation

**Nidhogg's Invitation**

The team snuck back to the Ark that night and looked for more books on Yggdrasil. In the way back of one shelf was a map of the Road to Yggdrasil. It was located in a crater that was sheltered from the rest of Filgaia. However, Nidhogg Pass connected it in two areas.But it was locked and a person would need to find both switches. Of course, Jessica was already attempting to simplify things.

"We can see if I can open the lock once we find the door in one pass," she suggested, "Or, for fun, break open the way to the second switch. I really don't want to take the long way around this one. There are so many other things we could be doing. For starters, I should take Vincent to see Aunt Victoria. She's a friend of mom's and the same midwife that birthed both me and Virginia. So she would know about Vincent. Perhaps she could confirm the story to Werner; I believe they met once or twice so he would know her to be the friend Ekatrina was staying at when she gave birth. He'd believe her words."

Nobody objected to doing that. However, Vincent wanted to find the clues at Yggdrasil first. For if they located Jessica's father and brother, they would be dragging them to Doria to see her mother. At least, since this is Jessica he was talking about, that's what he assumed. Why make two trips when they could do it in one? Besides, deep in his heart he knew he was right about them being his birth parents.

So they took off for Nidhogg Pass. The one they located was north of Baskar near the circle around Yggdrasil. Once inside, they had to sneak by carefully in order to keep Nidhogg from sensing them. Jessica used an illusion spell just to get through. It worked; they weren't attacked by the serpent.

S...S

After hitting the lever, Jessica manipulated wind in order to get over to the second. With the door opened, they were able to go through. But the ease of their quest wasn't to last, as when the young Shaman tripped, she knocked into Lyla, who knocked into Vincent, who knocked into Laura. Not only did the team tumble through the doorway, but the action triggered an alarm which closed the door behind them. Now, they were trapped in the Yggdrasil Region. Laura panicked; she didn't have much booze.

"Now everybody calm down. We should at least make it out of here and look for a place to rest. If we can find the Council of Seven's location, then we will be able to discover the way to get back. I know that they have to have some way of breaking the lock from the inside. What if one of them had tripped the alarm on accident? Then all seven of them could be trapped here," Lyla informed the team.

Jessica screamed, "You're a genius Lyla! Perhaps that's what happened to our fathers. They got trapped on the other side of the wall. In that case…we're pretty much all screwed. But if we work as a team with the Council, then we can all escape this place and help all of them to get back home again."

Vincent looked doubtful. "Remember, Leehalt said something about a lab accident. If our dad's were caught up in it, I don't know what we'll find. But I won't give up. From Leehalt's words, I doubt either my father or Elliot became Demons. He said that they were 'too sentimental' and 'foolish'. Since he believed human power was weak and unnecessary, I'd say that if they're alive they haven't changed."

S...S

As they came to the end of the pass, they saw a blinding light. When it cleared, Leehalt stood before them with malice in his eyes. Vincent stepped forward; he knew this would be the day he got his revenge for the pain his mother felt. If only he had been there to comfort her in her final days. Would his presence have changed her sad fate? She would only have doubted one family member's life, not two.

"I can't believe you survived my attack," Leehalt stated, "You are truly a powerful warrior. If only you weren't such a fool. But now it ends. I will kill you. However, I think I'll play with your head a little more before you die. After all, since Werner is gone I need to get revenge on his bloodline instead. And you happen to be the only one here. I'd say your sister must have gotten the brains even if she's a brat."

"What happened to my father! If you don't tell me, I swear by every Guardian I'll smite you with every bit of power I have. How my family suffered because of your wicked actions. A rivalry is one thing, revenge is another, but what you did to me was just plain evil. Besides, since Mother kept it inside of her mind and never told anyone, you never hurt my father. Only my mother suffered," Vincent told the man.

Leehalt replied, "That was the unfortunate setback. My original plan had been to bring you back once Ekatrina cried over your disappearance to the rest of the family. Werner, who always had it in for me, would have blamed me for this from the start. Then, Ekatrina would see who really deserved her love. However, her kind heart disabled the plan. It would seem like a trick if I tried to bring you back so I raised you like a son when I wasn't working with the Council. That all lasted until that fateful day ten years ago. Our maintenance coordinator, Duran, followed the advice of his imaginary girlfriend and set the generator to meltdown point. Only I and two others are still alive; and we became Demons to live."

Jessica's anger burst into critical mass. "My father is dead! I don't believe you! You've done something to him; it wasn't an accident. If you hated both him and Werner then I know it's your fault. Now feel my rage; Slash Party!" She ran at Leehalt and rapidly swung Dragonflare at him four times.

"I don't know who you are," Leehalt muttered, "Nor do I know what you're talking about. I am a soul just clinging to life now. Filgaia itself seeks to destroy me. But once evolution and terraforming hit the world, then I and every other soul will be saved in the bodies of Demons. That's enough for talk though. You sure are a hard hitter for such a little girl. But now playtime is over. Rule of Vengeance."

With that, he attacked her and knocked Jessica back into the wall. The impact was enough to throw her baseball cap from her head and Laura caught it in her hands. As she struggled to get back up, Leehalt took a look at the child. He could now see her long silver hair and violet eyes; the same as Elliot.

"Well, this is an ironic twist. I didn't know Elliot Enduro had any other brats. I thought that that smart mouthed brat Jess died when she gave birth to her only son. I guess she was just afraid of the challenge I issued to her once she was recovered from childbirth. Never thought she and Elliot would have such an elaborate scheme to escape it," Leehalt responded. Then, he teleported out of the pass.

Jessica called out, "Come back here so I can beat you up some more." But since her hits had been hard, Rule of Vengeance had knocked her for a real loop. She fainted from her wounds. Lyla used Schturdark's power to heal the girl, but she needed a place to lie down. But where could they find such an area in the middle of enemy territory? And they had no way to get back to the rest of Filgaia either.

* * *

**Teefa's Last Words...**

Yeah, it really hurt. I'm trying to get her across as a clumsy and sometimes ditzy girl who leaps way before she looks. She's supposed to be the exact opposite of her brother for fun reasons.


	16. The Hint in a Book

**The Hint in a Book**

Jessica woke up after seeing a new vision. She thought she was in the clear; after her quest had begun her old one had stopped. In it, the young boy was standing all alone. He looked up at the sky with a heavy heart. The girl could tell he was filled with sorrow. "Why can't I remember? Who am I? Where do I come from? No matter what I tell the idiot chatterbox and the other two bozos, I really want to know. Is my name even Jet? If not, why did that man call me by that name? Damn it! Nothing makes sense."

"Brother!" called Jessica, "Come with me! I'll take you to our mother. She can help you discover the truth. She's a High Priestess at the Temple of Life. That means she has a strong connection to the Guardians of Filgaia. With their help, you'll be able to discover your lost past easily. I'm sure one of them can answer your questions." However, it didn't seem like he heard her; he kept staring at the black sky.

S...S

Jessica awoke in a small one room shack. Her friends were all standing around and waiting for her to get better. Seeing she was conscious, Lyla let out a sigh of relief. The young Baskar was afraid her healing powers wouldn't be enough to rescue a friend in need. Frisky jumped on the bed and began licking her master's face. Jessica giggled a bit and hugged her animal companion closer to her body.

"Well, now that you're awake, I'd say we should be going. It would do no good to be trapped in a place like this. You know, we're all just sitting ducks for Leehalt to attack. That monster; and he once called himself a scientist. Besides, we'll find no new clues just sitting around in the cabin," Vincent stated.

Jessica replied, "Sounds like a plan to me! Let's go!" She raised her arm as if to give a cheer. But in that action, she hit it on a small shelf. Something fell off from the movement and landed next to Frisky. It was a small leather-bound book titled, "Werner Maxwell's journal; post Yggdrasil tragedy."

She opened it up to read. The first page was quite boring. It was written a year following the incident at Yggdrasil. Werner was writing of how he couldn't face his family after the errors of the Council had led to even greater destruction to Filgaia. To read his words, it seemed as if the waters had only left a Sea of Sand after it exploded. He gave no mention about how he had survived; only that he existed.

But after she flipped the pages five years into the future, she found an interesting entry. It was about the project she'd read about at Leyline Observatory; Adam Kadmon. "At long last, after five years of waiting, he has been born. Adam Kadmon, the first artificially created human since ancient times. Our process began simply out of a whim; Elliot wanted to give his young son Jet a friend his own age. So we integrated the creation along with our plans to build a sample of Filgaia's energy. He and I had brought the idea up at the meeting on the form of the sample; as if it was a passing idea. We read up on older experiments from our collection of ancient scientific text. The plan was based on the old Holmcross project, except for the fact that the metal was combined with Leyline energy to create an entirely new substance resembling human flesh. DNA was later added from the donor a few days before the tragic end to Yggdrasil. I then moved him here where he has rested and awaited birth. In his hands, I will leave the Airget-lamh B/V2. It is a converted version of the Guardian Blade that was encased in black by Elliot the day before his death. Underneath is silver and leather straps hold the two sides of it together. The handle on the ARM is covered in a red rubber. With his Filgaian powers, he cannot use normal ARMs."

"Ummmmmmmmmmm…Vincent," Jessica spoke up, "I think you should take a look at this. It was written by your father after Yggdrasil. This means that he survived. If that's the case, Leehalt may have lied to you. Or maybe he didn't know for sure what happened to his comrades. Meaning, there is a slim chance that my father might have lived through it as well." She handed it over to him as she began to think. This Adam Kadmon, he was her next clue. She didn't know what he looked like, but she knew the appearance of his ARM. If she could find someone wielding that weapon, she could find another clue.

S...S

They left the shack for the sole fact that it wasn't safe for them to stay in one place. So for the next week they hid in the woods. Vincent continued to read his father's journal. Never did it mention how he survived, or how the Filgaia Sample looked. Perhaps he was trying to hide that fact in case another person came across the journal. If they discovered the Sample, he would be in danger. Werner always wrote about him with the care of a parent or guardian. Perhaps he did have feelings for the boy; he was more than an experiment. But it could have to do with the original reason that he and Elliot had the idea for this project. They only wanted to make one boy happy. And since they were best friends, it wasn't a long shot to think that Werner took care of the child named Jet when his father was busy with a project. So he and Elliot both probably thought of their creation as more than a machine. Which, in the opinion of Jessica and Lyla, was the responsible approach to a person who wants to create life with their own hands.

But eventually they knew they had to return to the land of the living. So the team packed up their gear and began heading back through Nidhogg. Ironically, it was the day after Virginia had been taken to her father's cabin with the Nanomachine Virus. So, to their surprise, the door was already opened. But no one thought of it seriously. Laura simply believed it had a timer installed to open the pass if it was locked accidentally after a certain amount of time. After all, the scientists had to go see their families and it would do them no good to be locked up all day. Everyone agreed with her hypothesis; Leehalt and his allies could teleport so they had no need of mechanisms but in the past nobody there had that luxury.

The new plan would be to simply seek out the Sample; only referred to as Adam Kadmon in the book. However, there would be difficulty as Werner mentioned giving him a different name to go by, yet never writing the name down in his journal. So they would have to search all over for this young man.

But the first order of business would be to earn some Gella. The team needed cash for Laura and Vincent's ARM upgrades, supplies from Roykman, and stays at the saloon. Unlike the Maxwell Gang, they didn't have the luck of having three places that allowed them to stay for free. Only Baskar, and they wouldn't be going back there every night to get a free room. After all, they also didn't have a Dragon or a Teleport Orb to allow them quick travel from place to place. Besides, their best option was to search as many areas as possible. Only then would they find this Filgaia Sample and the answers they needed.

* * *

**Teefa's Last Words...**

I like the idea of them almost always meeting yet never getting the chance. Well, then it would be an official AU. But this keeps the game continuity with things that could have happened. For example, since we don't know squat about Elliot's family life there could very well have been a similar situation going on. Second, since games 1 and 3 are officially connected, we can make generalizations about the fate of the descendents of the Adlehyde Royal Family (the Shaman/Dorian Race in this fic). Third, there is few facts known about Ekatrina so we can't rule out a kidnapped son. So you can say it's AU but you can also say it's a story directly connected to the game.


	17. Another Lost One

**Another Lost One**

The team was sitting in a saloon after their return from the Yggdrasil region. Jessica sighed; she wondered where to start looking for this Adam Kadmon. Nobody with a weapon in Little Twister seemed to have the ARM in question. It would be so much easier to have the assumed name and/or appearance. But without those clues, she was pretty much sunk. The girl watched Laura chug down a mug of beer.

"Excuse me," a soft yet semi-familiar male voice spoke up, "Can you help me? I was separated from Sis and the rest of the team. But I don't think I can make it to Little Rock without anyone else to help me." Jessica turned to see young Alfred Schroedinger standing there with a desperate look in his eyes.

"Well guys, what do you think? I vote that we should help out. After all, I understand what it's like to be lost and to feel as if you are all alone. I wish I could find my sister and convince her that I am really her twin brother; that I was kidnapped to hurt and break up our family," Vincent told the rest of the group.

Lyla replied, "I agree with Vincent. We in Baskar cannot ignore someone in trouble. Besides, the reason we fought Maya before was because we were in competition with her and she didn't understand that the gem was of no material value. Even one who lived a sheltered life inside the colony knows that a Drifter is often in competition with other ones, and there will be fighting between groups no matter what."

Laura shrugged. "Well, I'll do whatever the rest of you do. There's no gain or loss for me if we get the kid back to his sister. Besides, we're simply drifting around and searching for a job at this point in time so it makes no difference if we go to Little Rock or Jolly Roger. Heck, all that changes is the booze."

"And I," Jessica added, "Think that we should go. I could never forgive myself if I just abandoned someone in need of help. Besides, I understand in the same way that Vincent does. My brother is gone and I want to find him. So what are we waiting for? Let's get going and head for the Sandcraft right now."

S...S

Alfred stuck around with Jessica and Frisky in the gun room. He remembered her words back at the cave where they fought over the gem. _"And this isn't a gem you can sell. It is a magical artifact that is sacred to the Guardians. As a priestess, I will not allow this holy relic to be tainted by anyone,"_ she had vowed to Maya. Her dedication to her duty was amazing, yet she did not allow herself to be tied down by anything. Jessica could fight like any wild cat to protect those she loved. But she also had a kind heart.

The girl inquired, "What's wrong Alfred? We'll help you find your sister. I'll admit, despite her love of gems and angry disposition, I can tell she's not a bad person. It is true that female Drifters aren't as respected by our male colleagues. Maya has to fight twice as hard as most people to show her true worth to the world. She may come off as rude and brash, but she is doing what is needed to survive."

Alfred looked both thoughtful and grateful. "Wow, that's the first time anyone has ever told that to me without me saying it first. Nobody seems to understand Sis. She has to be strong to lead us. But in the first few months of travel the other Drifters we met began criticizing her; not for her abilities but for her gender. I don't see the difference between us; both men and women have different ways to go about it however they can still both get the job done. Sadly, people are blinded to think that all girls aren't able to deal with these kinds of issues. They still think that women should stay home to await her Drifter lover's return. Maya, on the other hand, will probably have a man waiting at home for her to come back instead."

"It does seem very plausible," Jessica said, "I would want to either have a boyfriend who travels with me or who is content with the fact that I do travel. Where I come from, women get more respect than the rest of Filgaia. Mainly because ancient legends tell that the Guardians held a preference towards girls. But we have never discriminated against anyone due to their sex. Nobody can help the way that they were born." It made her think back to the Sample; he shouldn't suffer because he was created by science.

"Thanks. I feel a lot better knowing that someone else can see the kindness that lies deep within Maya's heart. The only other person who can do so is someone she's always picking fights with. So we end up leaving and I can't have a real nice conversation with her. Thus, I don't know the extent of her opinions on my sister. However, you shared this information with me willingly; I didn't have to begin the conversation myself. So I know that I didn't just put an idea into your head that you agreed with to be polite. You're nice Miss Jessica," Alfred replied; a small blush covering his nose as he spoke to the girl.

Jessica replied, "Thanks. Oh, and just Jessica will do. I'm assuming you wouldn't want me to call you Mr. Alfred. Or even saying Master Alfred. The Schroedingers are a family with a long history, so it isn't a long shot to say that you get enough of that stuff from other people you know." She smiled at him.

He giggled at her reply. "Yeah, I don't really like the formalities. So it'll just be Jessica then. I'm happy to have someone to talk to who understands me. I mean my whole life I have worried about Sis yet she doesn't want to ask for help. I fear that one day she'll get herself in way over her head in battle."

Jessica put her hand on the boy's shoulder. He needed someone to tell him that his sister would be ok. The problem was that Jessica herself didn't know what fate had in store for Maya. A priestess could only be given the visions a Guardian wants her to receive. And right now they all had to do with the brother she was searching for. But if she discovered something about Maya, she would surely tell him.

"Life doesn't always go in a way we expect," she told him, "I certainly didn't think that my mom would tell me that I had a brother whom I hadn't ever met due to a family tragedy. I never thought I'd have left my comfortable life just to search him out. But here I am, looking for him all over the planet. In short, you might never know what fate will throw in your sister's path. It might very well be something real good. Or it might be a problem that you two have to overcome. Whatever the case, don't give up Alfred."

"Thanks Jessica. It makes me feel a whole lot better to hear those words. She's gonna be ok in the end. Even if we encounter turbulence, we can overcome the problems if we work together. Only, I just hope Sis is willing to ask for help when the time to act is upon us," Alfred joked with his new friend.

Jessica giggled too. Pretty soon, both she and Alfred were laughing hard at the situation. It was one of those moments that a person can forget all of their problems and just be themselves. Alfred didn't think about his fears over what might be, and Jessica let her mind's overactive imagination wander away from Jet's possible plights. The two of them had nothing else here; but they had each other's friendship.

* * *

**Teefa's Last Words...**

Just a lighthearted chapter to brighten the mood of the story.


	18. Duel of Hearts

**Duel of Hearts**

They got to Little Rock, and proceeded to search for where Maya was. It appeared as if she hadn't arrived yet, so the five went into the saloon to rest and have some drinks; well, only Laura wanted the drinks. Jessica, Alfred, Lyla, and Vincent were playing cards with the deck Vincent always carried. He was happy for once to play something other than solitaire. They had settled down for a game of Go Fish. It was almost like Alfred was part of the group already; after only a short sea voyage with the team.

"Got any Sixes Vincent?" inquired Lyla, "Wow, seems like only yesterday we left Baskar to begin our journey towards a new life. And we can already enjoy ourselves like a real team. I'm happy I met all of you." Vincent handed her the Six of Spades, and gave the young Baskarian girl a small smile in return.

"Well, we are all friends here. Speaking of friends, who wants me to pour them a drink? It's one of the best brews on all Filgaia," Laura tempted them. She then began to down another mug for herself. Lyla giggled, Vincent moaned, Jessica sighed, and Alfred looked like she was crazy. Well, she was crazy.

Jessica reminded her, "You're the only one of age here. Vincent is the second oldest among our little team, and he's only eighteen. Meaning, we can't yet drink legally. Besides, as a priestess, I get enough liqueur from drinking ceremonial wines during certain festivals. Once, I accidentally got drunk on my share. Boy, I'll never do that again. I woke up in the fountain near the center of town; soaked to the bone. After that incident, I came down with a bad cold and had to drink Aunt Victoria's nasty remedies.

Laura shrugged and poured herself another bottle. "Well, your loss, my gain. You guys just don't know what you're missing. Maybe when you're older you can come to enjoy the finer things in life like me. I guess now you still are drinking fruit juice and soda pop like they're going out of style. So, am I wrong?"

"Alfred!" Maya's voice called, "So there you are! I've been worried about you. Honestly, all of the gems in the world are calling to us, and I find you in a pub enjoying yourself with a bunch of pretty girls. I didn't think you were that type of kid." Instantly, both Jessica and Alfred turned a deep shade of crimson.

S...S

"So that's what happened. I didn't think you were trying to pick up girls. I don't usually say this to anyone, but thank you for finding my kid brother. Alfred's the only family I have left on this little dustball of a planet that we all call Filgaia. I'd do anything to protect him," Maya vowed as she looked at her brother.

Jessica, feeling a little jealous of their relationship, replied, "I accept your thanks. And I can relate to you in more ways than you think. For years, it was always me and my mom. But now I've learned that when she and my father were split apart by fate and tragedy, he had their only son with him. So I've got a big brother out there somewhere. Now, I will take on any task I can handle at all in order to find him and bring him back home with me. One day, I know my hard work will pay off and we will be together at last."

Maya held out her hand and shook Jessica's. "Well, I can see you've got strong convictions. You may be a green kid and a little sentimental, but at least you aren't in over your head. I know this girl like that. She just spread her wings and yet she believes she can take on Demons. It might be foolishness to people like you and me. But she's a little naïve and a bit of an idealist; thinks justice will be her shield."

Before Jessica could reply to Maya's comment and ask the name of the person, a shot rang out. Before them stood a young man of about twenty one with long brown hair and deep brown eyes. He had on a shirt and jacket much like the one Vincent wore. Over the jacket he had draped a black cape that was held together with an emerald; with another one acting as a clip for his black leather belt. His pants were tan and his boots were a light brown leather with some black leather running as a border on the top and bottom. In his hands he held a long high powered sniper scope rifle; codenamed the Killer SAL863.

"So you're the infamous Maya Schroedinger," the man stated, "My name is Percival Vanderbuilt. I traveled long and hard just for the chance to meet and challenge you to a duel. Nobody has ever beat me in a gun match before. And I have heard of your phenomenal skills with various ARMs in combat."

"Well, you are sure a really smart guy for complimenting a girl such as myself. But don't think that a little flattery will make me go easy on you. I'm no fool. Just because I'm a woman, that doesn't give anyone the right to take advantage of that. Why do you think that I learned quickly how to shut out the emotions I feel during battle? Because I am never going to let people walk over me because I happen to be female. Women can fight and protect themselves in the Wastelands; we don't always need a man around. My allies are not my bodyguards, but my friends. I watch their backs just as much as they watch mine," Maya yelled at him. She flashed a smile that shone through as if it were a threat to back off again.

Percival replied, "I don't mean to insult you. I look for strong opponents to challenge. To me, it doesn't matter if the fighter is a man or a woman. As long as I can test the limits of my abilities, any fight is the same. Besides, appearance isn't really a very reliable thing out here; only the barrel of your ARM."

Maya smirked. "Well said young man. Or, to be more precise with me, the barrel of my ARMs. I carry many types, all to aid me in my conquest of the Wastelands. That's why I've survived for so long. Now feel my full fury. Calamity Jane!" With that, she began shooting off every ARM in her arsenal at the other Drifter. Alfred was already offering some popcorn to Jessica; he knew what happened when his big sister got like this. So before he could even fire a single shot in the duel, Percival had fallen to the ground.

"Amazing," he muttered, "Not only did I lose this fight, but I didn't get a chance to even hit you. All of the rumors I've heard about the infamous Maya Schroedinger are true. She truly is a powerful warrior. I now humbly ask for you to teach me your techniques. To lose means I am in need of stronger training."

"Sorry kid. I don't train lackeys. I have enough dead weight on my hands and I don't need any other people around. Go hone your skills on your own and then challenge me again if you think that you can handle it. Todd! Alfred! Shady! Let's get going," Maya called. With a last wave goodbye to Jessica and the others, Alfred turned and ran after his sister. The five watched them fade into the orange sunset.

Percival was still staring at the place where Maya had been. He whispered, "I think I'm in love."

Jessica took one look at the direction they'd taken and sighed. "Me too. Please be safe Alfred."

* * *

**Teefa's Last Words...**

I wanted to introduce the guy that Maya was married to in "The Gemini". So I turned him into a man who seeks strength, and admires those who are stronger. Maya is a woman of power like he's never seen before, and that's what attracts him. We'll have updates with him later.


	19. Demons

**Demons**

Jessica remained in a love sick stupor for the next week. It finally took Frisky scratching her arm in a playful fashion to bring her back down to earth. Her pet had been worrying about the teen's strange new mood. But Jessica felt that she was ok. It wasn't like they had found any new missions yet. Even in the Rumor Capital of Jolly Roger or the Sin City that was Little Twister, the leads had all gone bone dry.

Finally, they had been summoned to the Ark of Destiny over a small incident. A beast had gotten into one of their old digging sites and they needed a group of Drifters to exterminate them. Apparently, Lamium's usual contacts were unavailable, and the messenger saw the four as a strong team of Drifters.

So that was how Jessica found herself trudging through the monotonous plains of the Gunner's Heaven Continent. The dig site was south of the arena itself and said to have been home to artifacts from the ancient war. Apparently, they were used to combat Demons and other threats to Filgaia from long ago. Both Lyla and Jessica were sure that the underground ruin was either Dorian or Baskarian.

"After all," the young Defender stated, "It's only about a millennium old. The Elw had left for their own dimension long before that. So out of all the people that live on Filgaia, only those two races would have any advanced weapons. Like, what was the name of that old Royal Gem of Adlehyde Jessica?"

"Nobody remembers; not even the Royal Family themselves. Virginia would only know as much as any Drifter who has heard the rumors about an ancient treasure used by an ancient heroine. Even if she is a princess. You'd have to have someone ask the Guardians for a reminder," Jessica replied to her.

Vincent added, "Besides, it's not really that important to know the name. If we found some gem of great power, we'd only need to know how it worked. Names aren't as important as the use you get out of a machine or spell. So let's not worry too much. Who knows, maybe we'll get lucky when we arrive."

S...S

Inside the long, dark halls, the team found it hard to move. In order to get by, they would have to walk in a straight line with one following after the one before him or her. Jessica went first as the leader. Lyla followed shortly after with Vincent behind her and holding her hand. Poor Laura had to go last since she was so big. Even with that strategy, the older woman nearly got stuck in some of the tighter areas.

Finally, they came to a large room packed with treasure. Jessica pocketed a Teleport Orb and an Exodus Orb. She should have asked her mom to borrow the ones that she kept in her room. But like with the cash, the young priestess forgot about it. With all of the artifacts here, nobody would miss them.

Lyla looked at her friends. "Then this is a Dorian hideaway. After the Kingdom of Adlehyde was burnt to the ground in the war, its survivors created these orbs to hide away for later use. Many lay in ruins that held the treasures and Demon Slaying Weapons left behind by the Ancient Sorcerers. But a few were kept by the people to use in daily life. Jessica, do some Dorian families own a pair of the orbs?"

"Of course they do," Jessica quipped back, "My mom has some that I should have borrowed from the start of this mission. Aunt Ekatrina left some in her Dorian house so her brother-in-law wouldn't catch Virginia playing with something strange and throw them away. She could always go get them later. I did hear that her husband actually found a Teleport Orb during a survey for his work, but I could be wrong."

At that moment, they heard a low growl. In came a full grown Silver Tiger. Frisky began hissing with all her might; the two races were deadly enemies. Unlike the gentle demeanor of Jessica's pet, the Silver Tigers were known for their ferocity and would kill anyone they saw. And right now, the beast only saw four young Drifters and one of the hated Golden Tigers. It let out another growl to intimidate her.

"Of course, this would just be our luck. This thing looks like it means business," Laura muttered. She loaded another set of rounds into her Rifle, and fired. It hit the beast right in the chest; slowing it down significantly. Vincent shot out both of the back legs in hopes of keeping it from pouncing. The two girls followed up with a pair of fire spells; Cremate for Lyla and Hi-Flame for Jessica. The beast began to cry out in pain. Then, what appeared to be a ferocious monster fell to the floor and died with relative ease.

Jessica yelled, "Where was the challenge? A Silver Tiger should put up more of a fight than that. I'm going to have to box mom's ears in. She was always telling me that they were one of the most vicious beasts on the face of the planet that were not of boss caliber. What in the world happened to this one?"

A sadistic voice chuckled. "It is because that this is not really a Silver Tiger. Long ago I studied one alongside my colleagues. So I knew how to simulate its appearance and scent for this little trick. I intended to keep any would-be Demon Slayers away from this hidden cache of supplies and weapons. Especially Werner's little brat and her three friends. After all, I can't let them find the power to defeat us." At that moment, the area in front of them became a bright circle of light. When it cleared, they saw what appeared to be Leehalt standing before them. However, he had changed his appearance once again.

Although his skin was still blue, his hair still long and black, and his clothing unchanged, there were significant differences to the former scientist. His eyes were no longer human; they were purely yellow in color. Besides that, a pair of long horns were sprouting from his head. Lyla shrieked at the very sight of him. Jessica shuddered in fear. Both could feel the tremendous power building inside the man.

"So I have got your attention," Leehalt chuckled, "You are foolish youths to have come here. If you too will stand in the way of my plans, then I will have to kill you." He began to charge up an Eliminate Scanner spell to destroy the four. A wicked glint began to show in his eyes; at last he would be victorious.

"Not if I have something to say about it. And if you are trying to hurt my sister in any way, I will have no choice but to stop you!" Vincent yelled. He ran in front of the others as if he were shielding them. Suddenly, the unexpected happened. A barrier of pure energy came out and blocked the attack. It was the same type that was created by a Shaman manipulating the powers of Earth. But he never learned how to do that because he was kidnapped. So how had Vincent invoked such a barrier to block Leehalt?

Leehalt screamed, "You little whelp! If you think that your power is strong enough to defeat me, then come at me with all your might. This time, I'm going to destroy you. You outlived your use to me once your mother passed away. Now, I will destroy both you and your sister and end your father's line."

* * *

**Teefa's Last Words...**

My original idea was to get in, kill a beast, get out, and then jump to another important storyline piece. However, we did get sidetracked by this. So there's gonna be a fight with Leehalt next chapter and some important information given.


	20. Love Goes Far Enough

**Love Goes Far Enough**

"For my sister!" screamed Vincent, "And whatever you've done to her. For my father, who never knew his only son. And for my mother, never able to raise me and take care of me because you only cared for yourself. If you really loved her, then you'd have left them alone and allowed them to be happy together. Love does have to do with being with someone, but it also is about sacrificing for that person."

"No, I would have had her heart if Werner hadn't stepped in and ruined it. He did all he could to keep her from seeing the real me; only the me that he wanted her to see. He only showed her one side to his personality, and a totally false one at that. The only reason he wanted to have her was to keep me, his rival, from getting the girl he truly loved. So who was the wronged one here?" Leehalt inquired of him.

Jessica informed the Demon, "Well, I know that you wouldn't think of me as an expert, but I've known Ekatrina and Virginia for years. She always truly loved the man she married. If I remember the story she told us correctly, her heart longed for him the second he valiantly protected her dog. He had done it out of human kindness; not seeing the dog's beautiful owner. That is what drew her to his heart."

Leehalt laughed. "You talk big for someone who is the daughter of a woman who hated me and a man who was the best friend of Werner. I'll bet your parents filled your little head with foolish lies to make you like them; just as they did your brother. Your word isn't the reliable one to judge my character on."

"Actually, mom never mentioned you," Jessica retorted, "And I never knew my dad. Mom went into hiding after Big Brother was born. I was conceived by advanced sorcery known only to those who serve the Guardian of Life. He didn't even know that mom was still alive; and certainly not that I existed."

"I would never believe a bitter man like you; not anymore. All you care about is yourself. You only pretended to care for me. The only use I was to you was to get a revenge that backfired. It was all to hurt my father and steal my mother from him. But in the end, only she suffered," Vincent told Leehalt.

Leehalt muttered, "It doesn't matter what any of you think of me. All that matters will be that I kill all of you. Then, with my increased powers, I will slay the Maxwell Gang and finally get revenge on that fool Werner." With that, he began to charge up his powers to cast another spell on the four young Drifters.

But Vincent was there again. Even without the proper Shamanic training, he knew how to cast the powerful barrier of Earth Magic. Nobody could say for sure why that was. However, after the fight was over and they had time to think, the team all believed it boiled down to pure instinct. The Guardians were calling to the lost prince and telling him how he could protect those he cared about from the Demons.

Jessica brought out Dragonflare. "You're a foolish Demon. The evil within you is going to lead to your ultimate destruction. Nobody can do the things you are trying without suffering falling upon those of us living on this planet. Now, you will feel the ultimate wrath of the Guardians and their faithful servants!"

With that, the young woman held her sword up in the air. Suddenly, she ran at Leehalt at almost the speed of Lightning. Once more, she used her Slash Party to slap him again and again. The Prophet leader was about to counter with Rule of Vengeance when he felt a sharp pain in his arm. Frisky had snuck around to his backside and prepared to strike at the second he attempted to harm Jessica. As the man began flailing around, trying to get the tiger to let go of him, Vincent stepped up and aimed his pistol.

"My family suffered," he whispered, "Mother had to live in despair every day of her life. Father had to worry about her if she ever began to break down for what everyone might think was no reason at all. Virginia doesn't even know she has a brother; she believes her entire immediate family has died. Now it all ends. I won't allow you to cause her any more pain and suffering. Whether she knows it or not, her big brother is going to protect her from you!" He aimed a Gatling of his own; knocking Leehalt back.

"Foolish humans. No matter what, Filgaia will evolve. You soon will be the ones just clinging to life. Either you can choose to transform your own bodies as the planet changes, or you can die. That will soon be the reality. I will have the last laugh in the very end," Leehalt yelled. Then, he teleported away.

S...S

They were rewarded for finding the artifacts in the cave as well as killing the Demon. But only the Blazing Guns themselves knew that Jessica had pocketed both a Teleport and Exodus Orb. Her plan was to make their lives easier by using these artifacts. And she didn't have to come running home to tell her mother that she'd royally screwed up by forgetting to ask her about using the two items before she left.

Laura said, over drinks, "We should celebrate. I mean, we just fought off that wicked Demon that hurt Vincent. It's time you guys joined the party. I mean, even if you can't drink alcohol yet, then you can at least drink some Root Beer or Soda Pop. We need to cut loose once in awhile." As usual, she was holding a pair of ale glasses; drinking her fill. The young Drifter's eyes were filled with happiness at the very thought of being able to drink. It was her favorite pastime. Everyone else simply rolled their eyes.

Lyla sighed. "Honestly Laura, can't you ever get enough to drink? It isn't healthy for anyone." She looked back towards Vincent; who was playing a game of Blackjack with her and Jessica. He gave her a smile which caused the young Baskar to blush. What was it that she saw in him? There was no real reason for her to feel this way. But for some odd reason, he attracted her more than anyone else.

"True," Vincent added, "There is no point in it. We should all just try to find another job. After all, we still need the funds. And I really do want to eventually go and see this woman who supposedly knows my mom. But part of me feels that I'm not ready. Do I really want to know all about this? I know now who my parents really are since Leehalt wanted to laugh at me. However, the truth might very well hurt. So even though I want to go, I don't want to go. Do you guys all understand where I'm coming from?"

"I think I catch your drift. I too am afraid of what I'll learn. Since Vincent's father turned out to be alive when Leehalt didn't think he was, I have no idea what the fate of mine is. I only hope that when I do learn the truth that it won't harm me too much," Jessica replied. Her eyes began to come out of focus and the young priestess stared at the ceiling. What was she to do? Did she really want to know? Of course she did. But first, she needed to find a lead. And the only thing she could do was locate either Werner Maxwell or Adam Kadmon. But since she didn't know what either looked like, she would have to follow the clue of the ARM. The problem with that…who actually will show you their weapon outside of battle?

* * *

**Teefa's Last Words...**

Teefa: Well, my next plan involves the team at a certain place. Then, we have a little fun with Jessica. Again, she's somewhat of a klutz and a ditz.


	21. At the Ark's Invasion

**At the Ark's Invasion**

Jessica had become quite angry following the latest incident with Leehalt. All she wanted to do was beat the Demonic scientist up for simply being himself. The only thing that kept her back was the simple fact that she had no idea where Leehalt had gone. It was getting her no where; just towards the same corner that the location of her father, brother, Vincent's father, or the Filgaia Sample had gone to.

One day, the Blazing Guns headed towards the Ark of Destiny. The plan was to ask some of the members about strange Demonic activity. If some hint towards where Leehalt was could be found, they would gladly take it. Vincent wouldn't rest until his family's suffering was avenged, Jessica wanted to give him what's for, and the other two simply were following their friends. And they didn't know how good such a lead could be. Perhaps they'd find Werner or Elliot investigating the same thing and solve the mystery.

However, because this is Jessica, nothing turned out the way she planned. For the second they got in the door, a strange beast appeared before them. Lyla turned pale and looked like she was going to faint. "By the Guardians, that's a Hydra! They only appear at the side of a Pillar when he needs to be protected while attempting to call the Surge of Gaia. But this isn't the Sacrificial Alter. This is the Ark of Destiny. So how has a Hydra gotten all the way here? I hope Serena and Shane are both doing alright."

"Who cares what it is," Jessica replied, "All I know is that this big creep is blocking my path. Any fool who dares to cross me will die. Hi-Flame!" With that, large fiery streams flew forth from the young girl's hands. They smashed into the Hydra as it began to scream out in great pain. But it was still alive.

"A Hydra is weakened by Fire Elemental skills. It's the only way to counter the immense powers of Healing that it possesses. You guys hit it with your ARMs, Jessica and I can handle the magical part. Aqua!" screamed Lyla. At that moment, flames shot up from under the Hydra; weakening it again.

Laura reminded them, "I can give you some fiery support as well." With that, she loaded a pack of Fire Shells into her ARM. At that moment, she brought out her Sniper Scope to Lock On at her prey. The shell hit like any other shot, however the impact was immediately followed by a burst of flames from the body of the Hydra. Vincent took that opportunity to charge at the beast with a simple flurry of ammo.

With a nod, Lyla Summoned Grudievto the battlefield. As theDragon descended upon the Hydra, hethrust the very ground underneath it upward. That was the last straw. The wounds were just too much for the beast, and it died with a loud shrill screech.

Lyla looked confused. "The Hydra should be stronger than this. I don't think it's the same beast at all. It appears that like the Silver Tiger we faced back at the ruins, this is a simple copy of the creature that stimulates its appearance and abilities, but not the full power. Do you think Leehalt is behind this?"

"Who knows," Vincent added, "If he is, I will be waiting to kill him. My mother and father will find peace when they know what happened. I refuse to allow anyone who harms others with only the excuse that he was in the right to guide him. I mean, how can someone who kidnaps an infant boy, pretends to care for him, and did all of this to be able to take a married woman away from her husband be in the right? It doesn't make sense at all. Is Leehalt really that delusional or does he have a sick and twisted mind?"

"I couldn't care less what he thinks. All I know is that he's gonna die the next time I lay eyes on his sorry hide. Let's get going Blazing Guns! Kill all of the monsters and then we can find Leehalt and make him pay!" Jessica ordered. Everyone gave a shout of agreement. Then, the team rushed into the depths of the Ark's basement to find more enemies. It was time to clean house with all these monsters.

S...S

After about two hours, the team saw something strange. A flash of bright light engulfed them in an instant. Then, when it faded, all of the monsters were gone. Nobody quite knew what was going on. So they resolved to go back upstairs and ask Lamium. He'd be able to tell them what had happened.

However, when the beaten and battered warriors arrived at the top, they all saw the last thing they'd expected to see. The Arkists were chasing some group; they didn't see who since all they saw wasthe group of clerics. About a minute later, the posse came back inside. All wore dejected faces and seemed upset about something. One woman whispered, "How could anyone do such a thing to him?"

Jessica was curious about what had happened. So she approached the leader of the group; the same Albert that they'd given the slip that night in the Library. "Excuse me, we were simply visiting the Ark when this all began and we don't know what went on. Can you please enlighten us to the situation?"

"Lamium was shot," Albert stated, "Killed by those four rogues. We'd hired them out on a few of our missions, after a man in Humprhey's Peak spoke to me on their reliability. But now for some reason they've come here and murdered our founder in cold blood. I'm sorry to have this happen to you when you've come so far to see us. But we need time to mourn and prepare the Wanted Posters for print."

Albert and his fellow Arkists went into the Sanctuary to begin preparations to have Lamium's body buried. However, sneaky Jessica followed them with her Illusion technique. What she felt startled her. It was definitely the air of a Demon. Were the Drifters who attacked him Demons? Or was it something else altogether? The only way to find out for sure was for her team to track down the wanted criminals.

"Definitely a Demon's work. But I don't see how someone in a town would put trust in a group that used Demonic power. So there might be something hidden behind the mask that Albert and his little friends either can't see or don't want to see. Regardless, I don't think talking to them would be of any use. We should get out of here and plan our next move and find ourselves a job," Jessica told the other three.

Laura said, "I'm in agreement. Don't want to stick around here. Let's go find ourselves a tavern and drink to the passing of a great man. You know, celebrate his life and all the achievements. Then we add in a little sorrow over his passing and we get the perfect alcoholic evening. Catch my drift you guys?"

Vincent chuckled. "You just want an excuse to get punch drunk again. But you're right. Staying here won't do anything. Let's just get going and continue on our journey. Don't you agree Lyla?" He took a look at the young Baskar. Lyla didn't say a word; she simply nodded. But she did begin to blush.

So the Blazing Guns left the Ark and took to their Sandcraft. They ended up at Jolly Roger where Laura got drunk in the saloon. And she only didn't end up in bed with anyone because Lyla and Vincent pulled her to her room after she got wasted. Jessica meanwhile thought about what they would do now. Would they try and track the fugitives? Or find new leads towards her father and brother? In the end, she decided to sleep on it. Things always became clearer in the morning, as the sun shone down upon her.

- - - -

**Teefa's Last Words...**

Well, now we can have the groups meet since the main plot is over. And here's where we get into the deeper part of the romance; wait until Jessica gets her little hands on Jet and Virginia. After all, we can now use people in a more free manner.


	22. Suspects Located

**Suspects Located**

About a month after these events, the Blazing Guns had visited every town on the planet again. They even made it up to Ballack Rise with the help of Jessica's Wind Manipulation. She tried to teach Vincent how to use the technique in order to relive the strain, but it was no use. He only seemed to call upon his Shamanic powers when the team was in danger and he had to protect his friends. It was a good thing for them, but also a drawback in his education. Basically, she'd vegged for an entire week after that incident. But on the bright side of things, they now could travel there instantly using the Teleport Orb.

Finally, they were back in the Jolly Roger area; looking for clues. Suddenly, a pair of shots rang out. They turned and saw four cloaked figures running away from somewhere. Two were only about two inches taller than Jessica, one was not quite six feet, and the final one towered over that mark. As the group ran off, a man limped by with a wounded arm. It appeared to have been grazed by a small bullet.

"What happened to you?" inquired Jessica, "And who were those people in cloaks that we just saw?" She was already applying some Heal Berries to the wound. Lucky for him it was not a serious one. To the young woman it almost seemed as if the shot that injured him was made to simply stun the man.

"They were the group that murdered Lamium. All four of them wore cloaks to keep from being recognized when they entered town. However, the tall one took his hood down when he was flirting with a saloon girl. I immediately knew who they were and ran to apprehend them. But that woman, the one who leads them, she shot me in the arm. I'm lucky that her aim was off or I'd be dead," the man stated.

Jessica finished the healing and told him, "Don't worry, we'll go and get them for you. Nobody can mess with me and make it through alive. Besides, we're kind of low on cash and I know that the reward money will be a good addition to the team's wallet. Blazing Guns, let's get ready for action."

The team all nodded at Jessica's words. Then, they were off. It wasn't long before they found the enemy taking a breather since there were no more Drifters around. It would be easy to simply sneak around the back and kill them outright. Jessica, however, was never known for her stealth. She ran in towards their resting place; swinging her sword around and screaming. That got the gang's attention.

The woman of the group, who was one of the two shorter members, got out her pistols. "Ok gang. Let's use the same strategy we use when dueling with Maya and her gang. Split up and each take on one of the opponents. That way, we can finish this at our own pace. But remember the team promise."

With a nod from the three males, the fugitives ran at the Blazing Guns. Lyla found herself up against the leader of the gang. Laura had the tallest of the men, and Vincent the second tallest. That left the shortest young man with Jessica. She smirked; now to show him the true power of her Dragonflare.

As the four groups squared off, they all found themselves separated from one another. Jessica had chased the boy towards the edge of the land bridge to Midland Station. She ran at him with her sword drawn; ready to use Slash Party. Frisky prepared to strike in case her mistress was in any real danger. But the boy quickly drew his ARM and fired a barrage of six shots. They hit her in the shoulder blade and knocked her away from her attack. Jessica cursed wildly. Never had anyone gotten the drop on her like this. Even Leehalt's attack had been a counter that nobody had any idea he could achieve.

"If you turn tail and run," the boy began, "I won't have to hurt you. It's a waste of ammo to deal with a kid like you and my leader refuses to let me kill. So, I have no intention to slay you because I know I'll get Hell when I return to the group. But if you insist on fighting, Iwill makeyou live to regret this act."

Once more he fired upon her; this time hitting her other shoulder. Jessica dropped Dragonflare and began to wail in pain. But when he brought his ARM up for a third time, she was sure she saw a flash of black, red, and silver. Weren't those the colors on the Airget-lamh she was trying to find? The ARM used by the Council of Seven's android? The one link that she had to find her father and brother?

But she let it all slip as she dodged his attack. This time, Frisky tried to jump the boy and bite into his left arm. However, he was skilled enough to fight a monster so he simply knocked her away. Did he not want to hurt her pet? Or was he so conceited that he believed such a creature would waste his ammo to fire upon it? Either way she was grateful for him sparing Frisky's life. Well, it would've been his curse.

Just then, another barrage of fire knocked her to the ground. Jessica's eyes had been closed by the sheer force of the blow, and the konk on her head. When she opened them, she saw the boy was standing over her with his ARM drawn out. It was aimed at her neck. But now that she saw it closer, the young priestess could plainly see that it was the ARM she was searching for. A silver colored weapon cased in black with red edgings and leather straps holding it all together. If she focused her power into the weapon she could clearly feel a force greater than herself or her magic at work through it. It was like an act of fate had delivered the young man into her hands. Now she would get the answers she needed.

"I can't believe it. After all these months of searching, you walk right up to me…Adam Kadmon. Now tell me, where is my father? And what has become of my brother?" inquired Jessica. The boy was clearly shaken by those words and stepped backwards. With the ARM off of her neck the girl got back up.

He demanded, "How do you know that name? I never use it when I introduce myself, it's not on the Wanted posters, and I myself didn't know it until recently. And how the hell would I know about your brother and old man when I don't even have memories that stretch back before I woke up in Little Rock?"

Jessica stepped forward. "But you do know. You are the last clue I have towards them. I know all about how the Council of Seven created you. So start talking! Give me the whereabouts of my father and brother before I have to resort to something drastic." She hoped her bluff would work. This boy was a much better fighter than she herself. If she could keep him on the defensive then she could defeat him.

"And I said I don't know!" he yelled back, "What part of that don't you understand kid?"

"Well then, I guess we'll have to do this the hard way. I will have to drag you back to my mother for interrogation. And if she grills me for information with a sharp tongue, I'd hate to see what she'd do to you when you are withholding this specific knowledge," Jessica replied. With that, she began to call all four of the elements towards her. They formed a ball of pure energy that embodied all aspects of life on the planet. The energy was shot out at the youth before her, and he was enclosed within its borders. But Jessica forgot to take his Filgaian powers into account. They began to reroute the energy until it had caged her as well. However, without Jessica's concentration to keep it under control, it began to rage.

* * *

**Teefa's Last Words...**

Ouch is right. Jessica didn't think ahead again. Now she and Jet are in trouble. But with her trapped and Jet having no knowledge of what to do to release or control it, who will save them? You'll see next time.


	23. Dream Interpretation

**Dream Interpretation**

Jessica was shrieking from within her bubbly prison. And the young man she had captured found that he too was unable to keep his own pain in; despite his hatred of showing weakness. The girl cursed herself for this oversight. It should be common knowledge that the magic of the elements is unable to stand up to the magic of the planet itself. 'I should have been more careful. Now who will take Vincent to Aunt Victoria? Lyla may be a Baskar, but I don't know how well the team will be received if they are all total strangers in Doria. Perhaps nobody will give them the information they seek. I'm sorry you guys.'

S...S

"I hope I didn't hurt her too much," the leader of the Drifter gang stated, "But she should be safe if I place an Illusion over her. This girl will be invisible to men and monsters until she moves. Dist Dims, Sacred Staff. Teardrop, Gem of the Guardians. Give me the strength to make this spell take effect over the young woman. Water Manipulation Spell…Illusion!" Lyla, who was lying on the ground unconscious, began to disappear. The woman nodded before running off in the direction that Jessica had took the boy.

'Please be ok Jet. Something doesn't feel right with the planet. I know that something out of the ordinary has happened to you. If it is your opponent, then I will be there to lighten your load. For once, please let me be the one who protects you from danger,' she silently vowed as she ran off at top speed.

S...S

Jessica began muttering, "Man this really blows. Here I am, trapped in my own magical spell. You know kid, this is all your fault. If you had just admitted what happened to my father and brother in the first place, then I wouldn't have had to cast such a radical spell on you. If we get out of this one without being spotted by witch hunting Drifters, then I'm going to kick your sorry ass nine ways towards Tuesday."

The boy, called Adam by the diary but Jet by his leader, spat. "My fault? Who was the idiot who tried to do this in the first place? Besides, I don't really know what you're talking about. My memory only goes back nearly six years. If your stupid pea brain knows anything about the Filgaia Project that you have connected me to, you would know that I was only created around the end of the Council of Seven's Yggdrasil Project ten years ago. However, it took me five years and about two months to wake up after."

She wanted to give him a snappy comeback, but just then she sensed a powerful aura coming up to them. Jessica prayed to every Guardian in existence that it wasn't some sort of Witch Hunter. For unlike her mother, the young Drifter wouldn't be able to fake her death and haulass out of here. But then, another flash went through her senses. Somebody was summoning something or someone to the area!

"Oh Sacred Heart of Guardians," chanted a woman's voice, "Give me your power, your will. Let me attain dominance o'er my enemies. By the Adlehyde blood in my veins. I beseech you…Give me victory. DIST DIMS…DISSIPATE!" Suddenly, a powerful energy struck the spell she had created dead center. Both Jessica and the boy fell to the ground instantly. When she looked up, she could see a young woman not that much older than she standing before her. She was wearing a purple skirt and vest over a white button down blouse. A belt held a pair of holsters for pistols, a leather apron hung down from it, and a piece of blue cloth enhanced by Chappapanga's power was worn around her waistband. There was a collar that she wore over her vest, a pair of white gloves on her hands, and leather boots on her feet. Her hair was brown and worn in a ponytail, and her eyes were as blue as the oceans of legend.

"Virginia! I can't believe it, it's been nearly eleven years since the day we buried your mother. How have you been? More importantly, why have you come here? I don't think it is a coincidence that you are in the area when I screwed up that spell. You saved my bacon from bounty hunters who might catch a glimpse of the magic I had used and kill me. Thanks buddy," Jessica called out to the woman.

The girl named Virginia looked to her and replied, "Jessica…I should have known when I first saw the spell. No, when I first encountered you in the plains with my allies. You always did love your swords. You loved them almost as much as I loved the ARMs my father taught me. Besides, only you would cast a spell and have the luck for it to backfire and trap you too. Out of the three of us in our little gang years ago, Chapappanga seemed to have it in for you and you alone. But it's good to hear from you again."

The young man threw off his cloak as well to reveal his violet eyes and silver hair. He wore a black shirt, jeans, a leather coat with his left sleeve rolled up, and leather shoes. A wrist guard with a black belt tied around the center of it and fingerless black gloves adorned each arm. However, only the right one held a larger guarder made of leather around it. The youth had a battered red scarf and an equally ripped up white scarf around his neck; a small piece of each around his left leg as if to bandage a wound. "What the Hell is going on here Virginia? Do you know this crazy girl? She comes at me with a million questions about her lost old man and brother. And she seems to know who I really am as well."

"Well, Jet, Jessica and I knew each other as kids," Virginia stated, "Her mom is a priestess at a temple in this town my mother used to frequent. Since you seem to have been exposed to her clumsy attempts at magic, and I know you won't be blabbing the secret out anytime soon, I can tell you about my family's origins. My mother's full name was Princess Ekatrina Lilicia Adlehyde Roughnight Maxwell. And mine is Princess Virginia Cecilia Adlehyde Maxwell. We, and the entire town for that matter, are the lost descendents of the forgotten tribe of Doria; a tribe of Guardian Avatars with more power than even the Baskar. Our ancestors were routed in the war when humans began to fear us and we've hid ever since."

"Wait a minute Ginny! His name is Jet. And so is my lost brother! So that means that he is the boy from my vision as well. The dream that is leading me to the family mom got separated from by those men who wanted to hunt her down. 'His body dead and buried, yet his spirit rose once more in new and more powerful flesh. Aging but six months in the span of a five year stasis. His memory buried by great tragedy.' Not only is the Filgaia Sample the last link I have to finding the answers to what happened to my father, but he is the incarnation of my brother's body. And, if the words of this vision aren't lost on me, his soul as well. Jet Enduro, if that is what you are called by friends, my name is Jessica Linnea Enduro. I am your supposed to be twin sister; but born as your younger sister," Jessica informed the other two.

Before Jet could become even more confused than he already was, Virginia told her friend, "I think you need to give us more background information. I never knew your last name growing up so I wouldn't have ever made the comparison between Jet and you. But we shouldn't confuse one another with this small talk. Let's head on over to someplace private and fully hear what you have to say to us."

**

* * *

Teefa's Last Words...**

I thought it would be funny to see Jet and Jessica have some sibling rivalry issues even when neither knew the connections. And having Virginia bail them out would make for a pretty issue filled reunion.

Well, the powers in the last two chapters might have confused my dear readers. Ok, magic lesson time. There could be Wild ARMs 1 spoilers mattering what a person would consider a spoiler; all if the ideas are from my world history but this may tell people things they didn't want to know. After Rudy and Cecilia's son married Jack and Elmina's daughter, it lead to the power of their descendants increasing dramatically. Shamanic Magic, Holmcross Vitality, Fenril Knight Speed, and the remnants of Demon Strength (although she was turned back into a human, Elmina still held an aura of power from her days as Lady Harken) combined inside their children. Thus, their descendants began to discover powers besides that of Crest Sorcery. That was the Four Elemental Manipulation Spells. But if a person has the skill to do so, they can combine all four into a powerful containment unit; what Jessica did to Jet. Virginia wouldn't normally be able to cast an illusion on someone she wasn't in direct contact with. However, the Dist Dims that Cecilia turned into energy and hid in the body of the Royal Bloodline as well as the Teardrop allowed this to be possible. Ok, end of story there.


	24. Delving the Guardians

**Delving the Guardians**

It didn't take long for the trio to arrive at the village of Doria. Virginia had used a Call Whistle to attract her horse Hikari and Jet's horse Kin'iro. Being as they were the smaller duo, Jessica sat behind Virginia while Jet was left on his own horse to ride. But the ride there wasn't long at all. For it wasn't far to the cleft in the earth that separated the holy domain of Oodoryuk from the rest of Filgaia's decaying soil.

Once they arrived at the woods, the group dismounted from their horses. Then, they entered the forest and began slowly walking through the sea of trees. Jet wondered where the girls were taking him; it didn't seem to be anywhere sensible. Nothing was in those trees besides the hiding place of monsters.

But suddenly, they arrived at a clearing in the woods. And the first thing they saw inside of it was a large town with a temple at the center. Jet wasn't one for being surprised at things, but this was enough to do so. He never thought that anyone would build their homes in the middle of a forest; it just looked to be too vulnerable an area. However, at that moment, Virginia led him to a small house near the temple.

"This is my home," she explained, "My mother helped to build this village, but never made it her permanent address. First of all, she was looking after my miner grandfather in Little Rock. Then she met and married my dad and moved in with him to Boot Hill. But this is still the house she built for her and her descendents. So now it is mine. We can sit and talk in here; nobody has a key except me and a friend."

They all settled around the kitchen table where the two looked at Jessica. She sighed; it had been a long few months for her. But the chief concern on her mind was to get her brother help. He had been through a lot in his life. Now, with her vision and his knowledge, she could help find his destiny.

"Well, it all started when I had that vision I told you about. The one that spoke of my brother's fate. With the fear that he was in danger, I set out to find the answer to my vision. However, I don't quite understand what happened. Can you two explain in detail what happened to my brother?" she asked.

Virginia looked to Jet. She then nodded and said, "It's all not 100 clear to me since I wasn't there. But I am only inferring the words of one of the Council Members. Granted, he was simply using Jet's origins to make him mad, but he still gave us info. He had stated that they were trying to test their hypothesis of Filgaia being a life form. So they were planning to create a Sample of the planet. I don't know why, but they decided to see if their creation could be human. However, around that time your brother died. If I remember correctly, the man who told us said that Elliot had lost his only son days before when he placed his figure over the Sample. So it isn't a long shot to say that there was a DNA transfer before the boy's death; that being the cause of his demise. After Yggdrasil blew up, the entire Council was killed. Three of them were revived as Demons; Leehalt Alceste, Melody Vilente, and Malik Bendict. My father, Werner Maxwell, left behind his own memories in the Hyadas System. They then took on an imitation of his form. That being rescued Jet, put him in a cultivation pod in another facility to grow, and when he was completed he took him in and trained him to fight as a Drifter in the Wastelands."

She looked to Jet as if to ask him to add something that might be of some use. The boy looked at the curious girl with a sigh. "Well, I slept in that darn pod for a little over five years if you take the time that Virginia's old man vanished and I awoke. Then it was about five and a half years more before I met the others in our jolly little band of fools." For that comment, he got a playful slap by his chatterbox leader.

"That must be it then," Jessica stated, "Brother may have died because the Council couldn't create a soul for the Sample. So his soul was used to compensate. But there is one way to know for sure. We'll ask the Guardian of Life; Oodoryuk. As a Priestess, I can delve his power for guidance."

With that, the girl began to chant in Dorian. Jet found that he could understand her words for some reason. -Guardian of Life, the Divine Protector of Doria, hear my plea. Guide me to understand the path I must take. Help me to find the answers I seek. Show me how to help those I seek to help. Come forth from the shadows to bring light and life to those lost in the dark of death,- were her words.

Suddenly, the air around them darkened. Standing before the three Drifters was a tall white Unicorn with a flowing silver mane. His horn and hooves were also silver in color. Jet began to feel a sensation of power flowing through his body. He knew it had to be the Ark Scepter calling to him again.

Oodoryuk told Jessica, -I thank you for calling me here. All that you have spoken is correct. But there are still other things that need to be answered. For example, how the project began. It is true that the Council wanted to create a human being on their own. However, the idea was originally formulated by your father and brother. Jet was lonely, since he was the only youth in the lab, and wanted a friend. Elliot decided to nurture the Sample they would create to interact with humans as if he was one. In doing that he would form a bond with Jet; for the boy would be created to be the exact same age. But they soon found out that real human DNA was needed for the project. It was then that Jet made his move.-

Jet suddenly held his head as if he was in pain. 'Is this a memory! I can see myself touching the sample pod with what appears to be a hairless and featureless human being inside. Then, I feel pain coming at me from all sides. How can I remember this? I wasn't even born when the incident happened."

-You see your past my boy,- Oodoryuk said kindly, -When you put your hand to the capsule, not only was your DNA transferred but also your Soul Hook. If you don't know what that is, it is an energy or force that holds a person's soul in his or her body. Without the hook, nobody could exist. It also acts as a beacon for those who delve the spirit world; they can find their way back. However, copying the hook had a price. The act put too much of a strain on your own and it began to break. But since the hook itself was cloned in the Sample in addition to your appearance, that soulless body was able to capture your spirit and give it a new vessel. If Yggdrasil didn't happen, you would have awoken on your real birthday as a fifteen year old boy with all your memories. However, not only were your memories sealed away in the accident, but you took years longer to complete due to the slower machinery at the Leyline Observatory.-

"I have a past! And I can find these memories!" Jet exclaimed. That act shocked himself. The old Jet wouldn't have wanted to look for them; seeing the act as a waste of time. However, with the new information he had gathered, he found himself wanting to know about his father and his lost childhood.

Oodoryuk replied, -Yes my boy, you can recover them. But to do so, you must find Omoide. She is the Guardian of Memories. Only her power can restore what you have lost. I hope that my priestess and the young princess will go with you. You might need the support of friends once you discover the past. For the good times may pain you; since you know they'll never return.- With that, the Guardian of Life began to fade away. In about the span of a minute, he was gone and the lights began to come back.

* * *

**Teefa's Last Words**

Well, now that we know about what happened back then, Jet's gotta find the Guardian of Memories, who's name is Japanese for Memory, with Virginia and Jessica. We can go into some more information about him and his past once it happens. And I didn't forget about the others. I know just how I want to bring them back into the story.


	25. Omoide, the Guardian of Memory

**Omoide, the Guardian of Memory**

"Memory huh?" inquired Jessica, "Where do you think a Guardian devoted to memories would be? Even with my priestess education, I never learned the location of that one. Let's see, most of the old shrines were decimated when the Demon invaded. But I don't know where her shrine was back then."

"Well, let's think about this for a minute. Where would a Guardian who presides over memories live? Certainly, there is a place that memory is a large factor. Wait a minute! The Ruins of Memory! That's where we found the Teardrop. And I know that I felt a larger spiritual force there when I last visited to find the gem. Perhaps she is living there; that could be her long lost shrine," Virginia told the other two.

Jet replied, "Whatever. It's not like we've got any other leads. So let's check that place out. It might be that the only reason we didn't find anything before was that we weren't trying. Cuz I know I didn't see an alter to any Guardian when we were inside; and after all those other shrines I know what the darn things look like." He shrugged as he leaned against the wall; causing Virginia to let out a small sigh.

Jessica held Dragonflare high up into the air. "Ok then! We're on to the Ruins of Memory. Soon I can complete my mission and bring my brother back to the way he once was!" With that, she grabbed Jet's arm and dragged him outside. Virginia giggled a little and followed her friend towards the horses.

S...S

The three walked long and hard until they arrived at the ancient ruins. Virginia figured that the area where the Demon Shield had been hidden wouldn't hold a Guardian as well. So they decided to start with the place where the Teardrop had been found. Both girls concentrated together to manipulate the winds to have them float up towards the top rafter. Then, they continued onwards to the hidden room.

Inside the Teardrop room, something strange began to happen. The second Virginia arrived at the center, she felt her body begin to glow. Suddenly, the Dist Dims appeared outside of her. Then, the Teardrop began to glow. The two lights combined together; forming the shape of a woman in the center.

She had long flowing black hair and ethereal golden eyes. Her dress was long and white with a slit on the left side going up most of her leg. A golden belt went around her waist and her high heeled shoes were also made of gold. The overload of gold was enough to nearly blind the three young Drifters.

-Welcome, my children, she whispered, I am Omoide; the Guardian of Memory. I know why you have come; carrying the world's memories allows me to see everything that happens in the lives of the people on Filgaia. It is about the boy. I will ask you this; do you want me to recover your memory?-

"Months ago, I would have said that it was a stupid idea. But, now that I know my real story, I want to know. I want to know where I come from and why everything happened. The Guardian of Life may have explained it all to me, but he cannot take the place of knowledge. My own perspective will tell me more than the explanation of another. Besides, these two won't shut up until I say yes," Jet stated.

Omoide informed him, -This might be a painful thing to handle if you are not prepared. I see you have both your sister and beloved by your side. Their support and kind words will be enough to keep you from succumbing to despair when you remember the happy times that you have forgotten. Please, let it be so; for I would hate it if someone who thought they were ready was unable to handle what they found.-

With that, her body began to glow with a brilliant gold light. Frisky was about to jump for it when Jessica held her pet back before she hurt herself or worse. The light flowed from the Guardian and into Jet's body. A sensation of pain ripped throughout him; before he succumbed to gentle unconsciousness.

F...F

A silver haired boy with violet eyes was running into a bedroom where a man with the same hair and eyes was sitting. While the child had on jeans and a black T-shirt, the man was wearing his lab coat since he had just come back from work. "Daddy! Guess what? I was able to hit the target every time I shot today. My aim is getting better every day I practice. Do you think I can be a Drifter when I grow up?"

"Jet my boy," his father replied, "You can be anything you want to be. Whatever you decide in the end, I'll support you with all I have. Your life is whatever you will it to be and I have no say in the choices you make. But you can always rest your wings with your old man when you get tired. I promise to help and protect you." He took the young boy into his arms and gave him a hug as tears of joy streamed down.

F...F

"Jet I've got some good news. The Council has agreed to go with my plan to turn the Filgaia Sample into a human being. Once that happens, you can have someone to hang out with. I won't ever let you be lonely again," Elliot told a much older Jet. The man had just come back from a meeting as his son was preparing dinner for himself. A smile crossed the youth's lips; having no friends his own age at the lab had made him very lonely when his father or Werner Maxwell were busy with their usual work.

Jet told his father, "If you need any help, then I'll be happy to assist. I don't like to feel useless as the rest of you work hard to rejuvenate Filgaia. So if I can be of any assistance to this project I will be glad to aid you and the others. After all, this is my new friend that you are trying to bring into the world."

F...F

Those and many other visions of the past were swirling through his head. Memories of times where he was a happy young boy living with his father were beginning to overcome him. Jet could feel his head about to burst from the knowledge. It hurt just to remember a man who had loved him well and then was slain in a tragic accident. The young Treasure Hunter began to hold his head and howl in pain.

Virginia and Jessica both ran over to him. Although Jet was trying his hardest to keep his stone cold expression, his usual stoic routine wasn't working. Tears threatened to flow from his eyes and the fact that he was grabbing his head was a dead giveaway. Knowing something was wrong, Virginia took the youth into her arms; despite the fact that she knew he would be annoyed at her later. "It's ok. I'm here for you. Remember, I know how you feel about losing your father. I lost both my parents due to the Yggdrasil tragedy. If Daddy had come home again, I think Mom might have been able to pull through."

But Jet was silent. He didn't want to tell them how much it hurt to remember. However, Jet was also not doing a very good job of hiding it this time. Perhaps it was his reluctance to let go of Virginia. Or, in addition to that, he was holding onto her for comfort as well. Maybe that was why neither of them was complaining when Omoide referred to her as his beloved. Well, a Memory Guardian would even know the things that he kept hidden deep within his heart and never wanted to say. So he stayed there with her.

* * *

**Teefa's Last Words...**

I love mushy scenes. Even Jet's not complaining this time. Well, if he always considered not having memories a cushion against pain, what do you think would happen if he found those memories? Reaction in the next chapter and a few explanations.


	26. Fun in a Bar

**Fun in a Bar**

"Virginia," Jet whispered, "I don't usually say this…but thanks. It does hurt to remember. That's why I was originally against finding out who I was. But it also makes me feel this funny sensation of happiness inside; I had a good life with my old man even if it was for a little while. But if you even dare to tell Clive and Gallows about what happened here today, then I am going to have to do something drastic."

"Oh my Guardians! We forgot to get Clive and Gallows! I don't even know where they are now," exclaimed Virginia. She dropped Jet from her arms in the excitement. However, when he should feel relieved that she wasn't smothering him anymore, Jet was actually angry. He wanted her to hold him close to her and show him how much she cared. But since this was Jet, he didn't tell her what he felt.

Jessica added, "And I forgot my team too. Man! I hope they aren't in any trouble. Laura at least can cause a real ruckus if she gets drunk. They're gonna kill me when I return to them." With that, the young girl began to run for the exit with Frisky on her heels. Virginia and Jet weren't far behind. But at the end of the raised area, she forgot to jump down and ended flat on her face. Everyone else sighed.

S...S

Two mugs of beer clinked halfway across the table. The first belonged to one rebellious young priest named Gallows Carradine. The second was in the possession of one fun loving Drifter named Laura Hammilin. Around the table sat Clive Winslett, Lyla Fischer, and Vincent Maxwell. Those three simply sighed at how immature and foolish their other friends were being; it was bad to drink in excess.

What had happened was that Lyla had awoken from Virginia's konk on the head shortly after the Illusion spell had taken effect. First she managed to locate Laura and Gallows fighting with their ARMs. The Baskar had taken off his hood at the realization that his opponent was indeed a woman. When his attempts at romancing his way out of the situation failed, he began to fight back in hopes of wounding her so he could make a getaway. However, Lyla recognized him and convinced Laura to drop her weapon while she gave him a talking to. That led to the true story about Beatrice killing Lamium coming out.

It wasn't long before they found Vincent fighting Clive; who had also taken off his hood. When the explanations were put on the table, the boy went along and stopped his fighting as well. But they searched all over for the three missing ones to no avail; nobody thought to look in Doria for the trio.

That was how they had ended up at Jolly Roger's Saloon once more. The three members of the Blazing Guns had put on their own ponchos and Vincent had tried his best to make the bogus excuse that they were all sensitive to the sun believable. Luckily, everyone else inside the saloon was drunk off their asses. Clive didn't need to deal with the bounty hunters now; what with his leader and Jet both missing.

Gallows had tried to assure them that it would be ok. "Don't worry about them. I bet our leader and the sulky punk went to a nice quiet spot together where they're having a fun time. Man, I feel like such an idiot. Even he beat me out in getting laid. I must be the most unlucky man on the whole planet."

"I hear ya," Laura added, "I never get anyone to sleep with me. I don't want to die a virgin. And nobody on my team can understand the finer things in life. I mean, none of them drink at all. And then they try to stop me too. Last time I was drunk, Vincent and Lyla dragged me up to my room and I didn't get any man to come with me. How about we have a drink together; a drink to the drags in our lives."

"You hit it right on the button. Let's do that. Bartender, another couple of rounds over at this table. And please be especially careful with the lady's drinks," Gallows ordered. He felt like he was dancing on air. At last, someone who thought as he did. Perhaps everyone did have their soul mate.

Lyla yelled, "You should be serious Laura. We've got to locate Jessica and get the team back together. How are we going to get anywhere without her? She eventually has to bring us to meet her mother; when Vincent feels that he's ready to go into the town and get the answers to his questions."

Clive gave Gallows a bit of a death glare. "Really, we too have to be going. Jet and Virginia are still missing. And unlike you, I highly doubt he's gotten her into any compromising positions. When is the last time he's even shown mild interest in something like that? Not since I've known him, that's for sure. And we know that she's an innocent maiden. I think the two of them are a lot more responsible than that."

"Your friend is named Virginia?" inquired Vincent, "That's the same name as my twin sister. We were separated at birth and I'm trying to locate her. All I've found is that my mom is dead and she and my dad are not at home. The two of them seem to be traveling as Drifters; though not with one another."

"Well, the Virginia I know doesn't have any siblings. She's an only child who lost both her parents at a young age. Quite sad really. Her father died in a tragic accident. Since nobody survived, there was no way to get a message back home to his family so they could all find closure. Her mother was so sad that it is said that she lost the will to live and succumbed to her illness rather easily," Clive told the boy.

Vincent didn't know whether or not this was his family Clive was talking about. After all, he was sure his real father was alive due to the journal. He did feel at ease, however, talking about the reason behind his kidnapping. The youth said, "My father's rival, a man named Leehalt, took me from my mom just to hurt our family. He wanted to use it as a wedge to drive my parents apart. But mother told no one else about me; suffering alone for everyone she loved. I wish I could kill that monster for what he did."

Clive patted the boy on the back. "It's ok. He's dead now. Our team killed him. Or rather, one of our two missing members did so after Leehalt tried to torment him for something he couldn't help. I take it then your father and mother were a Werner and Ekatrina Maxwell. That would be the late parents of our team leader. There was an old love triangle between Werner, Ekatrina, and Leehalt; from what the two men were discussing during our trip to the Yggdrasil system. But Werner recently found his peace; his memories weren't able to rest in peace due to Hyadas and the fact that he regretted certain past errors."

"Father," whispered Vincent, "I hope you and Mother are happy together once more. Don't worry about my sister. I'll take care of her. Once I speak to Aunt Victoria, she's going to confirm my story and we can be a family. Then, we can mourn your passing together." But tears flowed down from his eyes.

Lyla walked up to him and held his hand. She was no longer wondering about her attraction to him. His soul was pure and kind; scarred by betrayal and deceit. Only he hadn't grown up bitter from the loss of his foster father nor turned to the Demons the second he found the man again. All he wanted was to have a family. With most of his gone, he would have to build one again. Perhaps she could be a part of it somehow. But Lyla was a shy girl and feared opening her mouth to tell him. So she kept it inside.

* * *

**Teefa's Last Words...**

A little depressing, and a little humorous. I just wanted to have a scene with Laura and Gallows in a bar. We'll get back to them later at a reunion, and then I have a plan for even more fun.


	27. Rescue

**Rescue**

As Jessica, Jet, and Virginia left the Ruins of Memory, they heard a young man's scream. Being her typical self, Virginia rushed towards the scene. Jet, worried that she'd get into trouble on her own, ran after her; with Jessica and Frisky following shortly behind. There, they saw the largest Gob they'd ever seen. It was a rare monster called the King Gob; from the information given by Virginia's Analyze spell.

"We can't just let that thing run wild," Jessica stated, "I don't know about you Ginny but I feel it's time for a good old fashion beat down. Slash Party!" The priestess ran at the monster with Dragonflare out. Four times she cleaved into the flesh of the beast. But it wasn't enough to kill the creature. The only thing that happened was that it stopped attacking whomever the target was and ran at Jessica instead.

"If you want to play games then it's fine with me," Virginia teased. She then shot the King Gob with her pistols. Jet followed up with a barrage of machine gun fire. Now the creature looked to be a little more cautious. Before its only opponent was a lone Drifter. However, now it had to deal with not only the original target but three interlopers. Three extremely armed, dangerous, and apparently crazy interlopers.

But before any one of the three could make another move, a small explosion could be heard from behind. Someone had thrown dynamite at the creature's back. Then, the form of Alfred Schroedinger ran towards the other side while it tried to look for who had attacked. It was part of his plan. Since a new group of fighters had come to distract the beast he would make an attack and then use the confusion of the King Gob to his advantage. So now he tossed a second stick of dynamite from the other side of it.

Jessica inquired, "Are you ok Alfred? I mean, where's your sister and the others? That looks to be one mean son of a gun and I don't think it would be wise to attack it on your own without some help. I hope that thing didn't take a bite out of you. Because I can heal your wounds if you need me to do so."

Alfred smiled. "I'm ok. Sis and I were separated because I was going on ahead to Jolly Roger while she tried to get Percival to stop following her. He hasn't left her alone since the duel; always trying to get either a lesson in ARMs usage or a date out of her. It's actually quite funny. Todd and Shady are with her. I simply was going to reserve our room at the saloon when that huge thing ambushed me."

"If you two are done acting stupid," Jet yelled, "We all still have a giant Gob breathing down our necks. Airget-lamh Gatling!" The sound of Jet's rude comments and machine gun fire brought them back to reality. Jessica blushed as she readied Dragonflare for another attack while Alfred tried to hide himself by reaching into his backpack to find some more dynamite. But it was easy to tell they were embarrassed.

Virginia then readied herself for a Gatling. After she fired, Jessica grabbed Dragonflare again and slashed it across the torso. While the beast was distracted by the others, Alfred tossed another stick of dynamite. That was the last straw for the monster. It screamed in agony as it began to disintegrate.

"That was a close one. I hope there aren't more of them around. And if there are, I hope Sis and the others haven't run into them as well," Alfred stated. Jessica was checking his wounds to see if there were any dangerous injuries in need of immediate attention. He looked pretty much ok to her trained eye.

The priestess yelled, "Jet, what was your problem before? I swear, can't I take care of someone who is injured? After all, I am a priestess of the Guardian of Life. It's not like I was goofing around. You act like you've never been in love before, Brother, but I know that's not true. I know you have a crush on Ginny. So be a man about it and tell me the truth. Don't worry, it's kind of nice that you like my friend."

Jet blushed a deep crimson. "I do not like Virginia like that! She's just my leader; that's all. We have a relationship as business partners. So why do you think that it's something deeper? I don't have any time for love. It just gets in the way of my work. And especially not with the chatterbox over there."

"I know that you're lying Jet," Jessica called back, "You have a thing for Virginia. Well why not? She's a nice girl, and she cares about you greatly. Besides, I see you blushing over there. And if you weren't in love with her why would you be doing so? You really aren't that good of a liar Big Brother."

Before Jet could make a witty comeback, they heard a shrill woman's voice yelling for Alfred. Turning around, the team saw Maya and her cohorts coming towards them. Alfred let out a sigh of relief when he realized she was ok. Perhaps that beast was just a single mutated Gob they wouldn't see again.

"Well there you are. I swear, I told you to go on ahead to reserve us a room and then wait right outside the saloon. Not only were you not there, but the owner said that you never showed. All I saw in that place was two members of the Maxwell Gang and your little girlfriend's three friends. The big girl and the Baskar Priest were both singing some old songs punch drunk in the middle of the room," Maya stated.

Jessica told Jet and Virginia, "We should go to the saloon then. If all our friends are there then our job is a heck of a lot easier. Besides, I really want you to meet someone. And no Jet, I'm not trying to hook her up with a guy. I'm not going to interfere in your relationship with Virginia. That just isn't right."

Jet and Virginia both blushed. The young man gave his sister a death glare. "How many times do I have to tell you that I'm not in love with Virginia? Or is your brain too small to grasp that concept? I really am starting to wonder about the job Mother did raising you if you can't seem to realize the obvious."

To avoid all out war between Jet and Jessica, Virginia grabbed their arms and began dragging her friends towards the saloon in Jolly Roger. The Schroedingers followed shortly afterwards; as they still had to reserve their room. It wasn't that long a walk from their current position and they really wanted to rest at the saloon. That drove them onwards to keep from fainting from exhaustion on the dirt below them.

S...S

Inside the saloon, they saw the very site Maya had described. Clive, Vincent, and Lyla were all sitting around playing cards. Meanwhile, both Laura and Gallows were singing in an extremely drunken manner and embarrassing themselves. Jet only wished he had a camera so he could take some pictures and show them to the big oaf. After all, perhaps he'd realize how stupid he was if he saw these actions.

"You know," Laura began, "Thish ish getting boring. How about we go up to my room and have a little more fun? After all, you've never gotten laid and neither have I. We'll both finally get our wishesh." She immediately fell face down into the table with Gallows following shortly after. Everyone began to sigh.

"That big lug will never change. But it's amazing that he actually found someone as wacko as him. Maybe we should let them have their fun and then yell at them in the morning about what happens when they get drunk. I still think it's the stupidest thing you could ever try," Jet suggested to the others.

Virginia told him, "Nah. Let's just let them wake up with hangovers. I'm sure that Gallows would love to find out he got laid with a woman who didn't mind at all. I guess we've got to drag them up to bed now. Who wants to help out?" She sighed once more; why did her friend have to get himself into trouble?

* * *

**Teefa's Last Words...**

Well, wasn't that a real trip? Jet and Jessica are already behaving like real siblings. I told you that the scenes with Gallows and Laura that were coming up were to add a little more humor.


	28. A Plan Formatted

**A Plan Formatted**

After the groups struggled for a few minutes, Laura and Gallows were both safely tucked away in their rooms. They were laid on their sides in case either threw up. Maya & co. had rented a room for themselves; and had left. That left Virginia, Jet, Clive, Jessica, Vincent, and Lyla sitting around the table in the main room to talk about the issues. Jessica knew what she had to do first; tell everyone the news.

"Well guys," she began, "I'd like you to meet my brother. His name is Jet. And Virginia was able to help me find the meaning of my dream before we contacted the Guardian of Life. Turns out, Jet's soul was transferred into the body of the Council's experiment; the android we'd read about in the journal. But his memories were lost when Yggdrasil exploded. So the three of us went to the Ruins of Memories to meet with Omoide; Guardian of Memories. She was able to recover them for him and now he knows who he is and where he comes from. We still have to meet my mother, but I wanted to get you all back before we headed to Doria and the Temple of Life. Especially because we have to speak with Aunt Victoria too."

"Well, in case you didn't know, my name is Virginia Maxwell. I'm a Drifter who leads the team that Jet, Clive, and Gallows are on. Jet doesn't really speak much so don't get offended by his silence. He's like that with the other guys and me on a regular basis so we're used to it by now," Virginia added.

Vincent took a look at her and whispered, "If only you'd believe what I want to say." The young woman looked at him oddly. Why was this kid acting so strange? He'd only just met her so he'd better not be flirting. She didn't like guys who tried to come onto her right away. It seemed too pushy to her.

Jet felt his face get hot with anger. Even though Jessica had said earlier that she wasn't planning to hook Virginia up with a guy, he felt that the fact that another man was even thinking about her to be quite infuriating. But he himself didn't know why. Why should he care who she fell in love with? It was her decision. Besides, he didn't love her; or at least that's what he told himself. However, his heart was yelling at him to proclaim his feelings for her immediately before she took notice of the strange youth.

Jessica looked at the confusion that seemed to hit her friend's face. "Well, we'll talk to Aunt Victoria if you don't believe this one. It kind of involves a dastardly plan by your father's rival. The boy happens to be your twin brother. He was kidnapped by Leehalt in order to separate your parents."

"Leehalt!" Virginia exclaimed, "If Jet hadn't already killed him at the Deus ex Machina then I'd slash him to bits with that sword of yours myself. Is this really true? Do I have a brother? You're right, I have to talk to Aunt Victoria. She was the midwife who took care of Mom so she'd know. I take it Mom didn't want us to be sad, so she hid what happened. Father was stressed out enough due to his work."

"Yes. Or at least that's what I've heard. The information did come from Leehalt when he was in a bad mood. He got very angry because I wouldn't join him in his terraforming of Filgaia. Then he began to compare me to our father; saying we were both weak willed. That's how I got the information out of him. Else I'd still be blissfully ignorant of the horrible things he'd done to hurt our family," Vincent told his sister.

Jessica took that moment to jump onto Jet and scream, "You're the greatest Big Brother! I was really steamed at that jerk since he kept bothering us; and he blasted me that one time. But you killed him for me and got my revenge. Hah! Take that Leehalt. My big brother sure showed you what's for."

Everyone else in the room sweatdropped and Frisky simply hid under the table. Jet pushed his sister off of him and walked over to the other side of the room. That girl was crazy. "He told me about where I came from; not knowing about the soul transfer and all. None of the Council knew they'd failed to create a soul for this body. Or, at least that's what Oodoryuk told me when I was in the capsule before the Yggdrasil Incident. There are limitations to human science. Point being, I didn't kick his ass for you."

"Whatever," Jessica mimicked her brother playfully, "I don't care why he was killed. Just that the Demon isn't around to cause me any more hassle. He was starting to bug me." Being as that she was making fun of Jet with her comments, Virginia and Clive began to giggle. The humor was lost on both Vincent and Lyla; who didn't know the young man that well. Jet harrumphed and turned to face the wall.

"So where is this city you wish to go to anyway? I've never heard of it before. And why do you seem to be so secretive? From what I see, you speak much quieter when you discuss this strange locale than when you are talking about any other matter," Clive told Jessica. Well, she was totally off the wall.

Virginia figured that she'd better tell him the story. After all, they were friends and a lot closer to one another than Jessica was to Clive. He'd believe her easier. So she stated, "Doria is sort of a hidden town in the forest near the Secret Garden. Few outsiders ever come there. That's because the people living there are scarred of others. You see, they are a race with even more power than the Baskar. But they don't use the power for evil. Rather, they all serve the Guardians by killing Demons and other evil forces trying to harm Filgaia. Sadly, the power is often mistaken for witchcraft so they needed to hide."

Lyla nodded; as a Baskar she was a very reliable source. "Their town is a place where Guardian Power is used for more than just battle. Because of their loyalty, they were given abilities to create an easier existence for themselves. At the center of Doria lies the Temple of Life of Oodoryuk. That is the reason that area is still real fertile; it was blessed with the power of the Guardian of Life himself long ago."

"And I myself serve as a priestess," Jessica added, "My mother is a High Priestess. But I left the temple to search for my brother. You should have seen the look on my friend Emily's face when I ran past; she looked like I was crazy. It was about as classic as the look on my mom's face during the funeral incident nearly eleven years ago. The one she had on when she found out about our little adventures in sneaking into the house to rescue Virginia so she could take part in the ceremony to honor her mother."

"Long story. Let's just say that the Dorian culture is a lot different from the rest of Filgaia and a few cultural differences caused a tiff between Uncle Tesla and my mother's friends. You see, she is of the Dorian culture herself. Meaning, I grew up learning about it all my life and can use the abilities. That's the reason no monster hurt Lyla when she was unconscious; I used an Illusion spell to make her invisible. You'll understand more when we get there. But first, we have to wait for Gallows and Laura to wake up. Then we'll drag them there no matter how bad the hangover is; serves them right," Virginia said.

* * *

**Teefa's Last Words...**

Well, now we've got a few things squared away and are heading for Doria. That's where we find more revelations, the reunion, and perhaps a little trouble. I don't know yet; I'm writing this as I go along.


	29. Lost Sons Return Home

**Lost Sons Return Home**

Gallows and Laura woke up the next day with killer hangovers. However, they barely had time to rest before Virginia and Jessica came in and dragged them out of bed. When Gallows asked his leader to lay off of him until he felt better, the girl replied with, "It's your fault for getting punch drunk last night."

On the way out, they met Alfred. He smiled as he saw Jessica. "My sister is planning on leaving here soon so we can hunt down some more treasure. So, I guess I won't be seeing you for awhile. But I want to ask you to be careful in your travels. I mean, I don't want to find out that you were hurt or killed."

"That's sweet of you Alfred," Jessica answered, "But I'll be ok. First I've got to see my mom and tell her about finding my brother. We also have to meet with a friend of the family on another matter. So I'm just gonna cruise on back to my hometown for some good old RnR. However, once things are settled in there, I plan to return to my adventures. Perhaps we'll be fortunate enough to see one another again someday. You be careful too out there. And tell your sister that I hope she finds what she's looking for."

Alfred smiled and ran downstairs to meet Maya and the others. Jessica just stood there and watched him go. There was no way she would hold him back; his sister needed him more than she. The young woman remembered something her mother had told her long ago. _"When you love someone, you will sometimes have to let them go. But that doesn't mean that your love dies. Rather, if in his absence you continue to have that feeling, then your love will stay strong. And someday, either here or in the next life, you will meet again. Then, you can confess all of the feelings locked inside your heart for so long."_

Laura, upset that Jessica woke her up, began to tease her. She mocked, "Jessica's got a crush. Jessica's got a crush!" Of course, that did little to phase the young woman. Rather, Laura had stood to near the door to the Maxwell Gang's room, and when Jet opened it up to go downstairs, he knocked her over. Then Gallows tripped over Laura since he was paying more attention to his headache than his feet. Poor Virginia was stuck casting her Hi-Heal spell from her Crestboard; as it was stronger than the Arcana in her possession. However, Jessica didn't move until Jet tapped her on the shoulder and glared at her.

He looked his little sister right in the eye. "Remember, we have to get a move on to see the old lady. Man, and I spent years thinking I had no mom. But I want to get this over with; I'm not one for crowds and big gatherings. The only reason I'm going is that you and Virginia would force me if I didn't. I could live without a parent; have done so for nearly six years now." With that, he left for the downstairs.

"He doesn't mean that," Virginia informed Jessica, "Jet just doesn't like to look soft. I know that deep down he wants to meet his mother. His barriers are almost impossible to penetrate and it's hard to find out what he really wants or feels. But I can see the inside of his fragile soul. There is a pure heart underneath all that bravado. However, he's been hurt one too many times and tries to prevent it from ever happening again. The pain he feels often makes me cry. I'd do anything to help him ease it off."

"Well of course you would. After all, you are in love with Jet. It's not that hard to see; even if he and you are trying to cover it up for this image thing. Perhaps love will eventually allow him to trust again. I mean, he had to go through harrowing experiences when he was just a young boy," Jessica responded.

Then, she too went downstairs; leaving Virginia with her thoughts. She mused, 'Is it really love? I always wondered what I felt for Jet. Why was I so upset every time he told her that we weren't going out? It is the truth; we're not a couple. Is that what I want? And does he really feel the same way about me?'

S...S

Since Jessica, Virginia, and Jet had each been to Doria, they didn't need to go by foot. Instead, the young priestess took out her Teleport Orb and concentrated. Instantly, they found themselves back in the forests surrounding the Secret Garden. Shortly after traveling through it, the eight came upon the town itself. Being as it was early, not too many people were out of their houses; most still were sleeping.

Jessica was leading with an excited smile. "First we need to find Aunt Victoria. She gets up early because she works as a midwife. If someone needed her help in the morning, she has to be there. Mom might be busy with work and it could be difficult to get an appointment immediately. So let's go for Auntie's house. I'm sure she'll be happy to see Virginia again; hasn't been to visit in nearly eleven years.

So the little group headed for a nice little house not too far down the road from the one Virginia had inherited from her mother. Excitedly, Jessica knocked on the front door. Soon, a young woman answered. She looked to be about the same age as Virginia and Vincent, with long blue hair and dark blue eyes. She was dressed in a long green robe that was tied around the middle with a long gold scarf.

"Hey Jessica," the girl called, "I'm happy to see you again. You left so suddenly and I wondered what was going on. Then I asked your mother and she said something about a vision that would lead you to your big brother. So, did it work? Or are you back here to find out another hint from your mother?"

"Business Emily. Where's your mom? I have to talk to her on an important matter concerning the late princess's family. And don't worry, Virginia isn't hurt. She's with me, my bro, and our friends. We have a few questions that could help Ginny out. But your mother is the only one left to answer them since her mom is gone. Is she up yet? I know she doesn't sleep late since she has to work," Jessica stated.

Emily replied, "Hold on one minute Jessica. But first, hey Ginny how's it going? Haven't seen you in a long time. We'll have to talk later and get caught up. Especially about our love lives. I found a boyfriend recently and want you to meet him. So how 'bout you, anybody special taking up your heart?"

Virginia was tempted to say yes; to tell Emily all about her longing for Jet. However, not only did she not want to embarrass herself in front of Gallows—as he would probably tease the two of them for the rest of their mortal lives—but Jet was staring right at her. "No. I'm too busy traveling to have one now."

Emily nodded and went inside. However, Jet was staring straight at Virginia all the while. He was feeling surprisingly angry at her statement. Why? Why should he care whether or not she liked him. Not that he liked her in any way like that. But deep inside of his tormented mind, he knew he was lying.

* * *

**Teefa's Last Words...**

Well, we get into the actual reunions in the next chapter. I just wanted to have Jet and Virginia think over their feelings. Especially Jet; he never knows why he does things.He's a lot like Inu Yasha.

Dang! Now I'm thinking of the episode when Shippo was challenged by Soten of the Thunder Demon Tribe, and Inu Yasha took an arrow of lightning for Kagome. Then he found out it wasn't anything and told her to poke herself with it to see for herself and she thought it felt good; like a massage more than a shock. They were sitting around like Jet and Virginia in most any given fanfic.


	30. The Memory

**The Memory**

Soon, a woman of about forty four came to the door. She had light blond hair and dark brown eyes. Her robe, which was brown, was the same style as Emily's and she had on the same golden sash. The woman was also wearing a white apron which was stained in various colors. Knowing the line of work that Victoria Sylinia was in, Jessica deduced that she had just come from fixing herbal remedies.

"My Guardians. Princess Virginia!" Victoria exclaimed, "I haven't seen you since your mother passed away. You're still as beautiful as ever. So what brings you and your friends here? Do you want to come in for tea? It's freshly made." She motioned for the eight Drifters to come inside her little house.

The kitchen was light and airy. Victoria and Emily had painted the walls a bright yellow to add a little cheer to the establishment. For the women who came to have Victoria birth their children or check on them would feel quite at home. Everyone sat down around the table, and Victoria looked at them. As her eyes fell on Vincent, she looked shocked. The boy looked just like his mother would if she was a man.

"This may sound quite strange young man. But I want to ask if your name is Vincent Maxwell? It's just that you resemble Ekatrina so much that it's uncanny. Virginia, I'm sorry we never told you about this, but you have a twin. He just vanished the day after you were born, and Ekatrina kept it a secret from everyone else. She didn't want your father to be upset and lose his concentration at work," she told her.

Vincent replied, "Yes, that is my name. And Jessica already told her. The man who took me was Father's greatest rival. He coveted Mother and would do anything to get her. The original plan was for her to come home and tell what happened. When she cried in my dad's arms, Leehalt would make his move and return me; saying that he discovered me and rescued me from the monsters that took me. But Father would be suspicious, and Leehalt hoped that it would cause a rift between him and Mother that would lead to them splitting up. Then he would come and marry her instead." He looked up at the wall.

Victoria sighed. "I have heard the name Leehalt before. However, I don't think it would have worked even if she told Werner. For she knew the two didn't like one another, and if Werner had any suspicions towards Leehalt's motives it would be justified. They would have agreed to disagree in that scenario. The love they shared was too strong to simply throw away over a little disagreement over that."

"Thank you," Vincent said, "I knew all the answers from Leehalt, but I wanted to hear about my past from someone who actually was there and I can trust. Since Mother is gone, you are the only one left who knows I exist. There could be more that Leehalt didn't mention. He only told me my name, the names of my parents, and the plan. I know there is more to everything than that; this is only the basis."

"Leehalt will tell you what you want to know, as long as it causes you pain in the process. That's how he deals with people he doesn't like. He did that to Jet too. The few things he said pertained to the not so nice things in his existence. The only remotely nice thing he talked about was how much his dad cared about him. However, Elliot is dead so it was like a, 'Look, the only person who thinks that you are worth something died ten years ago.' He is very good at being evil, I'll give him that," Virginia stated.

Jessica informed Victoria, "Jet is my big brother. He's the reason I left town; I wanted to find out what happened to him. But there was a lab accident and he was changed a little. That's why that jerk Leehalt was insulting him. The changes were all part of an experiment the Council was working on that Jet was caught up in. His body is completely man made, but he's just like any other human being inside."

Jet gave her a look. "Don't go blurting that out to everyone! It's nobody's business but mine what happened to me in the past. I don't appreciate you telling a total stranger about that one. Stupid little sister. Why don't you stop pestering me and do something for once. Besides act like a total moron."

"It isn't important," Jessica yelled, "Auntie isn't going to act differently whether you're man or machine. Besides, she's Virginia's mom's best friend. And that means that she has a motherly complex towards Ginny. So she'll act like your mother-in-law when you two finally get married sometime soon."

"I am not going out with the chatterbox. We're simply comrades in arms. Get it through your little head that I'm not interested in a relationship with anyone. I'm going to be alone for the rest of my life no matter who tries to come on to me," Jet retorted. But a small voice inside his head scolded him. How could he be so blind and take no notice of Virginia's emotions and tell her he cared? Why didn't he want to be with her? She cared about him like nobody else on Filgaia had since he lost his father at Yggdrasil.

Before the fight could escalate, Victoria informed the gang, "Jessica is right. There is no reason to judge the boy based on how his body was created. For one, he is a human being underneath the mechanical body that was created for him. And as a human being, he has the same rights that others do. For two, we of Doria are descended of a special being ourselves. One of our ancestors, a kindly man named Rudy Roughnight, was a Holmcross; that is a person made out of a special type of living metal."

Jet went over to the corner. "That still doesn't mean that I want people knowing what happened to me. After all, there are people who would want to hurt me or perhaps even use me for some sort of experiment. That's what this stupid body was initially intended for; to test the validity of a hypothesis that stated that the planet itself was a living being. But my DNA and soul were used in the creation of this body when I tried to help my old man out. I was a fool; I should have known better than to touch that."

Virginia looked at him. She wondered if this was why he was so distant. Even though he knew where he came from, he didn't get any nicer. Her original thought was that if he could find his past and his family, Jet would remember a kindness that he must have had as a child. But now she knew why he never accepted himself. He was afraid of other people. But it was surprising that he even admitted it.

"If that's why you're afraid, you don't have to be," Virginia said, "I would never let anyone take you and experiment on you. You're a living, breathing, being and I would feel just awful to see you being no more than a puppet to anyone. You can always rely on me; I will protect you from the rest of the world."

"I don't need you to protect me. I can take care of myself. So just leave me alone," Jet screamed back. With that, he left the house and slammed the door behind him. The other seven simply stood there dumbfounded. A second later, Virginia began to tear. She ran outside after him; determined to help Jet.

* * *

**Teefa's Last Words...**

I needed to add a little drama. The mood'll light up next chapter; I know how I want the scene between Jet and Virginia to come out. Don't worry though, Jesica will have her moment too. After all, this is her story. But we have to show this scene to put in a little fun.


	31. Love's First Embrace

**Love's First Embrace**

Jet was sitting near the pond; skipping stones with a blind look in his eyes. It was clear to see that his mind was elsewhere. Why did he stay with the group? It's not like he needed anybody else. He could operate just fine on his own. Besides, they were all strong; could take care of themselves as well. All he got out of this was a lack of peace and quiet. And a feeling that he couldn't describe in words at all.

'It's a wonder how I can even stand this,' the boy thought, 'I don't like people. But that girl makes me feel all warm inside. And how can she even stand me? I'm completely blind to the well being of other people; it isn't earning me any cash. Besides all that, I'm an emotionless machine; I don't have any of the thoughts and feelings I had as a kid anymore. I don't care about her one little bit. No, scratch that. I must care about her somewhat; else I would have done the smart thing and hightailed it out of here long ago. For some reason, she makes me want to stay. But why hasn't she simply gotten tired of me by now and kicked me out? Certainly, if I was her, I wouldn't have wanted me around since early on in the trip.'

At that moment, Virginia entered the area. She saw him sitting there; lost in his own thoughts. It hurt her to know how little he thought of himself. Especially since he now knew that his soul was that of a human being. He could no longer use the excuse that his lack of emotions were due to his artificial body. She hadn't brought that story ever since he started with it. Jet could feel just like the rest of them. So why did he try so hard to make it like he couldn't? Certainly, it wasn't helping the group out any little bit.

She knew this was possibly a suicide mission. But she had to try. Virginia could never forgive herself if something happened to Jet and she couldn't do anything about it. Besides, she thought about the words of the Guardian of Memories. Omoide had called her "Jet's beloved." And Jesssica also had talked about them being in love. The girl wanted to throw it off as if it was nothing. But the pureness of her friend's words had made her think, and a Guardian could see inside Jet's inner soul. What if he had some sort of feelings for her that he tried to deny? What would she say if she ever found out the truth?

'I'll probably be embarrassed. Especially if Gallows found out. I'm mean, Jessica is bad with her teasing, but that's just a little bit of sibling rivalry. Uncle Tesla used to talk about similar things going on between him and Daddy. They fight and tease one another just to play. But Gallows would really get to Jet. I'll bet that would cause a whole lot of trouble. Jet will most likely begin shooting at him,' she mused.

But this wasn't about a possible romance. It was more about Jet's problem. He needed to know and understand that she was there for him and could lean on her shoulder whenever he was feeling down. For so long he had been all alone in the world. Now was the time that she could bring him into her arms and protect him from the world. Virginia refused to let Jet push her away; he needed her whether or not he realized it. So she walked up to where he was sitting and took a seat next to him; blushing as she did.

Jet rudely inquired, "What are you doing here chatterbox? I don't want to talk to anyone at the moment. So just go back to the house and your friends." He turned away from her and looked right at the lake. But unlike what most people on Filgaia, he didn't seem to be amazed to see real water above ground. Natural water; not artificial like Yggdrasil's. Was it because his artificial memories were of a Filgaia where such a thing was common? Or did it have to do with his usual, harshly indifferent attitude?

She didn't care which it was. Only that Jet needed to see the bigger picture. "I came to help you out. You're upset. Don't try to lie to me Jet, I see right through you. But I won't desert you in your time of need. I care about you. So what if you're now in an artificial body? You're still my friend. Even if you never were human, I wouldn't let any harm come to you. Things like that shouldn't get in the way of your feelings. I believe that no matter where a person comes from, or how they were born, they're still a living being who should be treated with respect. I promise not to let anybody ever harm you as long as I live."

"Keep dreaming Virginia," Jet retorted, "I don't need you! I don't need anyone! This whole team thing should have tired me long ago. We saved the world and what do we have to show for it? Now the Ark of Destiny has a price on our heads. It's near impossible to make money under such trying conditions. I'm leaving right now! You don't have to deal with me ever again." He got up and prepared to walk away.

But Virginia wouldn't give up. She grabbed onto his arm and pulled him back. There was no way she'd let him go out there on his own. Jet needed to have friends like everybody else. His whole life had been lonely. As a child, he had no one his own age to play with. Then, in an attempt to create a friend, he ended up becoming the creation. After Yggdrasil, he was completely alone. Living without anyone to care about him. Now, she was going to keep him from being pained again. Jet tried to break away from her. However, all that managed to do was make Virginia pull harder; causing him to fall into her arms. In that instant, both began to blush uncontrollably. Jet wanted to break away from her embrace; but found that his body wouldn't respond. For some reason, that warm feeling made him want to stay just like this.

"I'm here for you no matter what you say. You do need us. All your life you've been alone and I won't let it continue. Perhaps what happened back then was for the best. You found someone almost your age who cares about you. And I found someone almost my own age who I can rely on. You've gave me a strength inside that I never knew existed. I wonder if Jessica and Omoide aren't right about what they said? I want them to be. I want to love you and you to love me," Virginia accidentally told him.

Jet whispered in a totally un-Jet voice, "Love. The only people who ever loved me was my dad as any father loved his son and your dad who thought of me as a nephew. But how does love between a man and a woman work? My parents weren't together since I was born so I didn't ever see it up close."

Virginia looked at Jet with a somewhat sorry look in her eyes. "I may never have seen it from my own perspective, but I do slightly remember about how my parents acted; and my uncle and aunt. Love is when you care about a person with all your heart and wish to give it your all for them. When you're in love, you wish to be with that person. Even if you can't be together, you wish the best for that person. Look at my Daddy, or Clive. Both of them are apart from the ones they love, however they both wanted nothing more than to make a better future for those people. It's kind of hard to explain it all in words."

Jet didn't know what was coming over him. He moved his face closer to Virginia's; almost against his will. But for some reason, she wasn't slapping him and moving away. Rather, the young girl was also trying to do the same thing. It didn't feel like something he would have done before she spoke. But in the eyes of the youth, he couldn't move away if he wanted to. He desired to touch his lips to hers and savor that one moment; that one kiss. Maybe he did love her as they said. Their lips met; it was like heaven.

But no sooner did they begin to savor the moment, then the two heard a giggle. Then, Jessica called out, "I knew that you two were together! You couldn't fool me Jet, you're not that good a liar. Well, we should be going to see Mom now. Vincent's finished talking to Aunt Victoria about Ekatrina. So we have time to visit. I'm sure that she'll give you her blessing; a love between her son and the princess."

* * *

**Teefa's Last Words...**

I told you that Jessica would have some fun in this chapter. It's good to have fun with her. We'll see Jet's reaction in the next chapter. Ginny will be talking 'bout it too. After all, his feelings for her are most likely going to be shown in a sudden movement when he feels like he can't control it.


	32. Finally We Meet

**Finally We Meet**

"Jessica, stop that," Jet yelled, "You're going to let everyone know that I let my hormones take control. Utter this to anyone and I'll make you regret it as long as I live. I'm not in love." However, the stern look in his sister's eyes caused Jet to look down at the ground. "Ok, maybe I do care about her. But that still doesn't give you the right to go and blab it to everyone in the entire town," he hastily added.

Virginia told her friend, "You really ruined the moment. I'd finally gotten him to open up to me and let his emotions out, and you come and butt in. Thanks a lot. You don't know how hard it is to get Jet in a position where he's willing to speak to me without hiding behind a mask. It can be infuriating at times."

Jet turned away; trying to hide the growing blush on his face. "If I'm so infuriating, then why don't you kick me off the team? I was just thinking at how surprised I was that you haven't resorted to that by now. After all, I'm just an antisocial punk who prefers going solo." He was obviously mocking Gallows.

"Why should I kick you off?" Virginia inquired, "I learned to deal with your moods because I know that's the way you are. However, it isn't too late to change. You don't have to worry anymore; you have friends who accept you for who you are. There isn't any problem where you have to put up an act around us; or at least me. No matter who the Jet Enduro hiding under that tough exterior is, I'll care for him just the same." She pulled him back into her arms and hugged him; causing a blush to spread over his face.

"Awwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww…how cute! You make a real nice couple. Don't forget to invite me to the wedding Big Brother. It'll be real fun. Ginny'll wear a beautiful white dress that her mother wore when she got married, you'll have on a handsome suit. All the bridesmaids will be wearing long gowns with flowing sleeves. And we'll go and pick flowers at that little garden nearby. Then you'll both have a few little ones of your own that will grow up in the love of their Mommy and Daddy," Jessica described.

Instantly, the two pulled away from one another; totally embarrassed. As both Jet and Virginia stood there blushing madly, they heard the sounds of approaching footsteps. Then, a woman's voice said, "You're finally back Jessica. Emily said you were here with a few surprises. Tell me, is this the boy? He looks just like his father did at his age; except Elliot was growing a little beard since he was sixteen."

They turned around to see Jess had come to look for her daughter and see if her son was really here. She was smiling as she walked over to the youth. Deep blue eyes met violet ones, and her smile brightened. It was that only a mother who had discovered her lost child alive could muster. But she didn't embrace the youth. Jess wanted him to make the first move. However, she did touch his face and grab onto his clothing in several places to see if it was a dream or not. Jet looked quite annoyed at that move.

He swatted her hand away with annoyance. "Look, I don't like this touchy feely stuff alright! So I feel kind of funny and annoyed having you just grab onto me without permission. And listen, my body isn't exactly human anymore. I stupidly put myself in the way of a valuable experiment and got my soul stuck into the body of an artificially created man. Basically, I'm your son but I'm not who I used to be."

"But Jet," Jessica added, "You were fine when the touchy feely stuff was with Virginia. So why isn't it ok when Mom does so? She's longed to be with you for years. Or, is it because you're in love with Virginia? And don't deny it; you said that you cared for her." Both youths blushed at this one comment.

"Jet, does that really matter? You're my son and that's what I care about. Your soul, I can feel it. It's the same energy pattern as that of the child I gave birth to. Only, a new power has been awakened within your body. However, powers of the body and powers of the soul are two different things. I'm not the High Priestess for nothing. I do know about energy readings. You are still the same Jet Enduro. But you try to tell yourself that because of the accident you are no longer yourself. That's just a façade you put up to keep others from breaking through your emotional barrier. Losing your memory must have been a hurt you never got over. You knew that in order to avoid being hurt, you had to distance yourself from others. Then, even after getting it back, you are reeling over the fact that those you cared about are gone. But don't let yourself be awash in despair. Let your friends help you through these times," Jess preached.

Virginia smiled and added, "Your mom is right. We're always here for you. I don't lie when I say that I care greatly about you. People may call me naïve, but at least I know how to treat others. You lash out because you are in pain; it isn't your fault. But if you lay some of the burden onto me, I can help you to overcome the hardships in your life. Please, I love you Jet." Her luscious sapphire eyes began to tear.

Jet felt his heart beating faster than it ever had in his life. Why was this happening now? Every time that chatterbox opened her mouth, he felt like a different person. The youth thought back to the innocent childhood he'd lost after the experiment. Then, he remembered the boy who Werner Maxwell had taken in as an apprentice. 'I was like her then. Only, the reality of the world has hardened me. She, however, doesn't seem to loose herself in the madness. For some reason, I hope that never happens.'

Jessica smirked once more. "Well, are you two going to kiss again?" And yet another time, Jet and Virginia began blushing. Jet's little sister really knew how to get to a person. But the boy could sense no malice behind her eyes. Nor could he recognize the sense of humor that was present when Gallows would joke about the two together. Rather, it was the kind voice of someone who saw the truth.

"If I wanted to kiss her," Jet retorted, "And that's an 'if' not a 'when'. I would be going to some place where you wouldn't be spying and bothering us. I'm no fool; your big mouth moves faster than Virginia's. The word would be around town before I could even say 'Gella'. My private life is still my own business. You're not going to be hearing about what I may or may not do with the noisy chatterbox here."

"Well, I can tell that you really care about the young princess. She will never forsake those she cares about. I remember her as a child. And from what I can tell from her words, she hasn't changed a bit. I know you'll be a good match. If you can't tell me all about it now, then I look forward to the day when you feel comfortable enough to speak to your mother on issues. Well now, let's not stand around here all day. I invite all of you to the temple in order to have a nice dinner," Jess informed the group.

* * *

**Teefa's Last Words...**

Well, now we've got Jet and Virginia embarrassed…again. And both mother and daughter are playing matchmaker. Well, more fun over dinner in the next chapter.


	33. Digging In

**Digging In**

Dinner that night was fabulous. Jess showed that she was a real good cook by making a huge feast to celebrate the reunion between her and her son, as well as the princess and her brother. Jet tried his best to be out of the limelight; however Jess and Jessica kept dragging him back into it. Not only were the Blazing Guns and Maxwell Gang there, but many of the heads of the temple had arrived as well. They were all asking questions of Jet like, "Was it scary when you were trapped in that field?" or "How did you react to learning where your body came from later on?" As you can see, Jessica got around real fast.

"I'm gonna kill her," muttered Jet, "How dare she open her big fat mouth to all these strangers? I feel like an amoeba on a microscope. That's the last straw! After this moronic banquet I'm going to be leaving this crazy world. No more annoying teammates and no more annoying little sisters. Free at last."

Virginia was seated at the head of the table; as the princess she was given the highest ranking seat. But she didn't have anyone to sit beside her; that seat was reserved for the significant other of the highest ranking individual there. She only wished that Jet would be the one to come and join her at that position. In fact, she was considering inviting him over. At least he wouldn't be dogged if he was with her.

So that was why, in between dinner and dessert, the young girl approached her friend/crush. "Hey Jet. Do you want to come and sit next to me? I mean, it's the seat reserved for the one I love; and I know that my heart is telling me to do this. Besides, you won't be at the center of that mess if you're with me. And if anyone tries to bother you, I'll give them all a real earful about it," Virginia told the young man.

Jet replied in a hushed voice, "Well, if I do that, then I'll be telling everyone that I love you. I don't know what I want. And if I did know, I don't want it getting out in the open. So if you want to talk to me, you'll have to do it when all the idiots leave me alone and I get some peace and quiet. Now go back to your table; I don't need this embarrassment." With that, he turned away to further prove his point to her.

Virginia walked back to her seat; on the verge of tears. 'Why can't he just be honest with his own emotions once in awhile? I always ask myself that but never find an answer. He doesn't want to help himself. I will definitely give him a talking to after this is over and we have more time alone. Perhaps I can get him to open up. Well, if Jessica doesn't burst in and interrupt again. I almost had him earlier.'

'Whatever she thinks,' Jet mused, 'I won't be around. I'm leaving at my first chance to escape. This time, I'm not going to let the chatterbox or anyone else hold me back. I'll return to my good old life as a Treasure Hunter. No more splitting the cash four ways, no more team expenses to cut into my profit, no more annoying priests who can't keep their minds out of the gutter, no more really smart guys to make me feel like I don't plan well, and, best of all, no more chatterbox leaders to confuse the heck out of me.'

However, Jet still had to get through dessert first. And that was when Jessica was at her worst. She insisted on him helping her make her Ice Cream Sundae at the buffet. Then, she just had to make his. And in a really annoying gesture, she designed it in the exact same way she'd helped Virginia make hers. Then the young priestess, ever the matchmaker, continued to tease Jet about his fate with Virginia.

"It can't be fate you idiot! You're the one who made both our sundaes. What's your problem? I met her while I was a Drifter and that's our only association. Now you've got her wondering about me as well. Why can't you just shut up once in awhile?" Jet demanded of his sister; storming off to the hallway.

Jessica sighed and wondered, 'Why do you deny your feelings? Even Omoide knows that she's your beloved. She is able to see into your memory and make your deepest feelings come out. How can you try to fight your emotions? It will only cause you more pain in the long run. So tell her before its too late and she finds another. I'll bet there are lots of guys that could easily fall for her all over the planet.'

S...S

Jet snuck back to the house in order to find his belongings. He found his knapsack and picked it up so he could get out of there before Virginia returned. However, something fell out of the bag as he put it on. It was a small photo of the team. Gallows was standing in back with Clive; as they were the tallest. He had his hands out in a victory sign and his face was showing a goofy smile. Clive, on the other hand, was sitting there with a book in his hands. Virginia had taken Jet's hand into her own right before the shot had been captured. So the young boy was blushing from the action she took. But, he was also smiling.

The youth looked closer at his expression. Why was he so happy? All that was happening was Virginia had grabbed his hand. He should want to throw her off and yell at the girl. But he felt that it was a secret longing in his heart. To hold the girl; just as a lover held his beautiful maiden. Was that kiss he'd shared with her earlier really something he desired? It felt so right when their lips met. No one else had made him ever feel that way. Women's affections tended to be pretty low on his priority list as a Drifter.

As he looked at it, a tear fell from his face. "Why should I cry? I still have time. Perhaps I don't want to leave. I say so, say that I want to be alone, but I could have done so for a long time. Clive and Gallows don't make me want to stay; Gallows is just annoying and Clive isn't a fun conversation at the least. But Virginia makes me feel strange. Almost as if I have no control over my own body. I know what I have to do. I can't walk out. I have to stay here and be with her. Now, I know that she's the one I love."

His heart changed, Jet put the sack down and returned to the party. By now, the dancing had begun. Lo and behold, Virginia didn't have a partner. A few young priests were making advances at her but she shrugged them off and told them she didn't feel like dancing. Her face showed signs of sorrow. Jet bet, correctly it turned out, that Jessica had told her about his outburst; that girl had a real big mouth.

"Ginny," he said as he walked up, "I'm not going to leave. I promise that I'll never think about it again. Well, maybe the thought will cross my mind. But I'm not going to fight myself. I know my way now. I'll stay the entire night and continue to celebrate even if they bother me; I'm not running away any more."

"Jet, I'm happy for you. I know it's hard to try something new. But I agree, we can't run from our problems and emotions. We have to face them head on. So, how about joining me now? I want to know if you'll dance with me for the next song?" she inquired. Raftina only knew what his answer would be.

* * *

**Teefa's Last Words...**

Just call me Teefa, Mistress of Killer Cliffhangers. Well, Jet finally stopped running. That's what I think most of his anger is in game; he's running from his problems instead of facing them down. And Jessica hasn't been making them any easier this story. We'll see his answer in the next chapter.


	34. The Dance

**The Dance**

Jet looked extremely embarrassed at her statement. He quickly muttered something incoherent under his breath and his blush became as red as red can be. Virginia gave him a look; she hadn't heard a word that he said. "What was that Jet? Can you repeat it? I didn't hear your answer the first time."

"I said 'I can't dance'," Jet whispered in her ear, after looking to make sure no one was paying the least bit of attention to the duo, "It isn't high on the priority listings of a Drifter. Your old man didn't cover that in my lessons and I know nobody who has ever been able to teach me. Well, the fact that you three are the first people I can remotely tolerate might have something to do with it." He turned away so he wouldn't be able to see her face. Jet didn't want to have to see her giving him one of her dreaded looks.

"Well then…we'll just have to teach you then. Dancing is a part of my education as a princess of Adlehyde so Mom, Aunt Victoria, and your mom too, they all helped me as a child to learn. Well, they all worked together trying to teach Emily, Jessica, and myself. After all, dancing is quite fun once you get the hang of it. I can give you a lesson right here on the dance floor. We have all we need," Virginia said.

So without warning, she pulled the youth onto the center of the dance floor and began to show him the basics of dancing. Jet's blush increased tenfold; if that was even possible. Not only was he the center of attention, but he was dancing with Virginia and he knew Jessica and Gallows would never let him live it down. He'd hoped that excuse would get him off the hook. For she would know that he was useless to her in such a scenario. However, she didn't care how many times he accidentally stepped on her foot; or complained that he didn't really want to do this in the middle of the hall. She continued on.

Virginia explained, "You have to get over your shyness somehow. If dancing with me in middle of the grand ballroom will do it, then I don't know what will. There isn't an event in all of Doria that will have more people in attendance than the return of the missing prince and also the High Priestess's only son."

Jet gave her a look. "But that's the reason I don't want to do it here. People are staring at me. I don't like it when they look at me. If you're so adamant about teaching me to dance, why not get some music and practice when there's nobody else around to see something I'm not really that good at. I look like a total moron. Even Gallows is doing better than I." He turned to indicate the big Baskar and Laura; who were cutting it near the right. Well, most of their looseness had to do with being really drunk then.

"I only wanted you," she replied, "That's why I refused the advances of those guys who asked me earlier. The only person in the world I feel right dancing with was you. Anyone else would make me feel as if I'd betrayed my own emotions. I love you, and nothing in the world can change how I feel inside."

Jet felt his heart burst inside his chest. She didn't care about any embarrassment to herself; just as long as she was true to her feelings. He had to comment her bravery. The youth might be able to handle himself running through ancient ruins with deadly traps with ease, but he didn't have any courage in the feelings department. Virginia, on the other hand, could be brave with either her feelings or in a ruin with many dangers. He still had a lot to learn; perhaps a lifetime would be just what he needed to do so.

S...S

"Your sister and Jessica's brother look really beautiful out there. Ok, so he's a little clumsy. But I can tell he's trying. From what I've heard about him from the others on the team, he would normally do a half assed job simply to keep her from continuing, and she'd go on anyway," Lyla told Vincent as they danced. He'd asked her early on and she was happy to oblige him. They were closer every single day.

Vincent added, "I'm happy for her. I mean, she follows her heart no matter what. He was a boy with pain that isn't even experienced in two lifetimes. Because of that, he was always pushing away from her and everybody else. However, she stuck by her emotions and continued to help him through those tough times. If she'd simply deserted him, he might very well be dead now; knowing he was not cared for by anyone else. Well, that would have been his own fault but still. He might owe her his very existence."

Jessica suddenly came up behind the two and patted each of their shoulders. "I agree with the both of you. Jet needed somebody to love him; no matter what he said. He was lucky the person who he fell for had tolerance with the hard to deal with. Cuz we all know my brother was extremely hard to deal with. I mean, he's only started to open up to her today, and they've been together for months as of now."

"I should have known you'd be coming 'round soon," Lyla giggled, "After all, we all know that you have the biggest mouth out of the team and would look to help comment on the two star crossed lovers and their blossoming romance. But where in the world did Laura get to?" They scanned the room and eventually found both her and Gallows passed out on the dance floor from their alcohol. A few priests and priestesses began to take the two away towards the medical facilities. They'd need some rest and a few of Victoria's hangover draughts stat. Lyla sighed. "I should have known that; she'll never change."

"Well we all know that. So let's go back to dancing. Jessica, I'm sure you'll find somebody to dance with you. Laura's in good hands and won't have any problems and we don't have to worry about her until the morning. Then we can give her a nice speech about how stupid it is to get drunks…again," Vincent stated. Then, he took Lyla's hand and led her back onto the dance floor; leaving Jessica behind.

The priestess thought, 'But I don't want to dance with these guys. Crap! I should have brought Alfred with me when I had the chance. He'd probably enjoy this. Although I think I'm pushing it with the outsiders. Well, actually when you think about it, Vincent and Jet are of our blood, and Lyla and Gallows are from Baskar. So that only leaves two outsiders. And I had the support of the princess for them all.'

S...S

As the night leaned to a close, Jet led Virginia onto a balcony that overlooked the sleepy little town. He smiled for what seemed like the first time in ages. This was a world where he didn't have to fear. Nobody had given him any real attention because of his horrid dancing. They were all curious as to find out about the High Priestesses son. He could blame his mom and sister for that little mess. But even though he was dancing with the princess of their race, and he vowed to ask her about that later, they let him be. Probably didn't want to ignite Virginia's wrath; if they'd heard about what she was capable of.

Virginia held him closer as she looked at the trees around her. "All this beauty here, and we have the Guardian of Life to thank for it. He preserved this area as his home shrine so it was protected from the Yggdrasil accident. That's why Florina has her garden in this place too. It's been the perfect night."

Jet sighed; he felt his instincts trying to take over again. So the young man began to move his face towards hers. Virginia took the hint immediately; she was the one more versed in romance after all. Their lips locked and their hands intertwined. For the first time, they kissed freely without any interruption.

* * *

**Teefa's Last Words...**

Yup, Teefa delivers when it comes to romance. It's my best genre. Virginia gets Jet into another uncomfortable and embarrassing position, and it all turns out for the best. Well, it's almost over now. One more chapter to pull it all together. Well, some fun with Jessica's team; we haven't been on track with them since they met the Maxwell Gang.


	35. The Closing

**The Closing**

A week passed after the ball. Jessica and her friends were on the road again. In fact, it had been the very next day. Well, that was mainly because Jet had been itching to leave; he hated to stay in one place. Virginia had given in only because she enjoyed traveling almost as much as he did. So then Clive and Gallows both agreed as well; after the team had pulled Gallows out of the bar where he was having a drink with Laura. With them gone, Jessica found no real reason to stick around; adventure calls.

So after they'd pulled Laura out of the bar as well, the Blazing Guns took to the road again. Even though their individual goals had been satisfied, they still wanted to travel as a team. Knowing Filgaia was on the road to recovery, Lyla wanted to make sure nothing else would try to damage the rejuvenating Wasteland. As in, she was still eager to hunt Demons in order to fulfill her duties as one of the Defenders.

Vincent knew that his aunt and uncle probably wouldn't believe him unless Virginia went along with them to Boot Hill. He hoped that with his ARM he could do something good; to let his parents know that he had grown up ok despite what had happened. He also wanted to spend more time with Lyla.

Laura still wanted to have a good time, however she was no longer interested in blindly getting laid just for the sake of it. She was waiting for the day that she and Gallows reunited. The two of them were alike in many ways, so it was a good match. But since both traveled, it would be awhile before they met again. Perhaps then there wouldn't be any interruptions from either side; although she didn't bet on it.

Then there was Jessica herself. With the truth about her family finally found, it didn't matter as much as it used to if they hurried up. Now, she wanted to take her time and take in the beauty of the new growth in the Wastelands. She wanted to watch it change and hope that one day she would see their world in all its former glory. And for that, Jessica needed to travel around Filgaia to view the new scenery.

Besides, there was one other reason to travel…him. Alfred Schroedinger; the young man who'd stolen her heart. She knew he wouldn't be at his home, but he'd be with Maya on her adventures. She was talking about becoming the President of Filgaia; that's what Virginia had said when they were talking back in Doria. Such an ambitious girl. Hopefully she'd not use brute force; else she'd be in for some real mega headaches. Alfred must be worried about her. He always was; even when she wasn't getting into a risky situation. It was the love that every sibling in the world should feel for one another. She always knew he had a heart of gold. No matter how timid he seemed on the outside, he always came through.

So after the week, they were back in the town of Little Rock. Vincent and Lyla had gone to see his grandfather; who had just gotten back from the mines. He wanted to let the old man know what had gone on and who was responsible. Edwin didn't take much convincing to know the boy wasn't lying; he had a sixth sense for truthfulness. So they were all in his house, drinking tea and having some cookies.

Laura was in the saloon; no surprises there. Only this time, she was being more careful. There weren't any of her friends around to save her ass if she got too drunk. She'd wait until they all came back later that night. Besides, if she drank mildly now, she'd have extra room to party after they ate dinner.

But Jessica was sitting on an abandoned mining cart. Her head was turned towards the town's gate; as if she sensed a presence coming towards her. Something told the girl that she had to wait on that spot. If she hadn't been a priestess, she'd have scoffed at those feelings. But she was so she did what she was told. If she didn't listen, she'd never know. Besides, her feelings always turned out right.

As if on cue, the girl heard footsteps coming up towards her. Something told her they were friendly, so she didn't make a move. Jessica smiled. She always knew to trust her instincts and her heart when it came down to the punch. "I take it you're doing well. I got finished with my party; everyone's ok."

"That's good," Alfred replied, "Sis is resting at the saloon; reading a new novel. Probably going to use it in her next battle; whenever that is. She makes sure to read a book through at least once in order to practice her techniques before using it in actual combat. Todd is with her and Shady's taking a nap. I wanted to get some fresh air, and saw your friend Laura sitting at the bar. She's not drunk; surprisingly."

"Laura's saving her binge for tonight. She wants to be sober when we all get back so she doesn't get in trouble. Believe it or not, she has finally met her double. He's just like her in the departments of drinking and getting laid. So now she wants to wait to have her fun; if you know what I mean," she said.

Alfred laughed a bit and replied, "I get the picture. At least she's learning to control herself a little bit more. Well, even if it's not a big improvement, it's something. Kind of like how Sis eventually began to act friendly towards Virginia. She still hadn't changed her basic personality, but she recognized the offer for friendship. That means we aren't being beaten up by the Maxwell Gang anymore. Well, unless she tries to become Filgaia's President through aggressive means; peaceful ones won't really hurt anyone."

At that minute, they heard a scream. Suddenly, they saw Percival run out of the saloon with a look of fear on his face. He was being chased by Maya; guns blazing. The two guessed, accurately as it would later be confirmed, he had finally broken her patience with his flirting. But he was still smiling as he screamed. It made Jessica confused. What could be going on to cause this man to smile in this instance?

Jessica began to giggle a little. "Well, it seems that even an ARM to his face can't ease his crush on Maya. I've never seen someone so crazy. And you know how many weird people I've met in my long journey across the Wastelands. Perhaps we were born into born into the generation for nuts and loons."

"He's willing to let Sis call the shots," Alfred added, "She's not going to find a guy like that in a million years. Most people don't seem to respect power and strength if the person is a woman. But you, Virginia, and Sis have proven that women can do anything that men can. I hope none of you ever fall to what others say. After all, it's not really a nice point of view; and maybe you'll be the ones to change it."

"Perhaps. Hey…Alfred? I was wondering if you, you know, like me," Jessica whispered. She then turned her head away embarrassed. The young priestess hadn't expected to be so blunt. Well, she often talked too much in regards to others' feelings, however her own emotions took more coaxing out.

Alfred smiled at her, and said, "Of course I like you Jessica. You're like nobody else in this world. I admire your determination, courage, and kindness. Although, I still have to travel the world with Sis and the others so I don't have time for a serious relationship at the moment." He looked right into her eyes.

Jessica felt all of her apprehension slip away. "I agree. I mean, we're only sixteen. We've got our whole lives ahead of us. When the time comes for us to quit our journeys and devote ourselves to a relationship, then we'll know it in our hearts. Mom always said that I had a superior sense of prediction."

* * *

**Teefa's Last Words...**

Well, sad to say, this one is over. But not my Wild ARMs stories in general. I've always got more ideas. I'll be posting a holiday story that is actually a sequel to this fic that takes place around the Festival of the Guardians (Filgaian Christmas made up for an earlier fic) where the Blazing Guns, Maxwell Gang, and Schroedinger Family have a party and insanity ensues. And after the New Year, I will be uploading a fic revolving around Virginia, Jessica, and Emily during the funeral for Virginia's mother.


End file.
